(Hoover, Alabama) July 27, 2005 - USC Coach Steve Spurrier dealt with a little controversy at the SEC Media Days , not because of what he's said, but something that he did weeks ago.
The South Carolina High School Coaches Association is going to war with Steve Spurrier. Earlier this summer, Spurrier sent letters to six players telling them they would lose their scholarships.
Irmo Head Coach Bob Hanna expresses his reaction after Spurrier cut one of the players from his team, "My first thought was, 'What'd you do?' I mean, he had to do something. 'Cause this just doesn't happen."
The Association's Executive Board came together to release a statement Wednesday accusing Spurrier of being "unethical." They also say cutting those players shows a "lack of commitment to recruited players." The board's letter was signed by about 90 coaches, including Hanna.
To express their displeasure even further, the Coaches Association has asked the High School League to move the state championships away from Williams-Brice to another venue.
Coach Hanna says now, for the players affected, "It's over for them. I just, I think the issue now is, you know, we've got to re-establish some trust between the university and the high school."
When new coaches take over a program, it's commonplace that some holdover staff members and players may be let go. But Hanna still has problems with the decision, "I just disagree with the timing. If it was two months ago, or if it was three months ago, it would have been a whole lot easier to do that simply because the kid had three months to figure out what he wants to do. Now you're giving them, basically, no time."
But Spurrier thinks it's better to leave the program and go somewhere else than have a permanent seat in the sidelines, "There were some players the former staff had signed that we did not think would ever contribute much. And we had some walk-on players who actually were contributing more. So some of the high schoolers they got mad about it. I don't know what to say, but to me in life, you put people on scholarship who deserve it the most."
The head of the American Football Coaches Association, Grant Teaff, came to Spurrier's defense, "It is not an ethical issue, because it is within the NCAA rules to not renew scholarships."
Reported by Mark Quinn with AP
Posted 11:50pm by Chantelle Janelle
