Former coach at South Carolina baseball rival arrested for child neglect

This week, former Clemson baseball assistant coach Matthew Heath was arrested over some heinous charges involving children. Previously working for current South Carolina baseball assistant coach Monte Lee when the two were at Clemson, Heath still lives in the Clemson area and was arrested by the Oconee County Sheriff's Office.

The specifics of the alleged actions against the child are listed below and could be upsetting to read.

According to a report from Fox Carolina's Anisa Snipes, after a tip from the Oconee County Department of Social Services (DSS), the police investigated Heath for a series of incidents that took place over the past couple of months from November 28, 2023 through January 1, 2024.

Heath is accused of pushing a child down a flight of stairs, depriving a child of food (on multiple occassions), forcing a child to take unnecessarily cold showers, lifting and then throwing a child to the floor, and not providing a child with pillows and blankets for his/her bed.

As of now, the only charge that has been brought on Heath is unlawful neglect of a child.

According to the report, the investigation began after the DSS tip, but there is no mention as to whether or not the investigation has been completed.

Heath had been working in college baseball for a while, most notably working under Monte Lee at College of Charleston, becoming the head coach at CofC after Lee's departure, moving on to an assistant coach role at Tennessee-Martin after being dismissed at College of Charleston (following an investigation into verbal abuse of players and coaches), and returning to Lee's staff to work for him at Clemson. He did not follow Lee to Columbia to work for the South Carolina baseball program.

Heath has been released from jail on a personal recognizance bond.