Chris Petersen: I told Art Briles about Sam Ukwuachu's violent past

[joseephuss]

http://espn.go.com/college-football...rs-coach-art-briles-sam-ukwuachu-violent-past

Chris Petersen: I told Art Briles about Sam Ukwuachu's violent past

Former Boise State coach Chris Petersen told ESPN on Friday that he informed Baylor coach Art Briles about former Broncos defensive end Sam Ukwuachu's violent past before the player transferred to play for the Bears in 2013.

In a statement first given to ESPN.com, Petersen said he initiated a telephone call with Briles after Ukwuachu was dismissed from Boise State's team. Petersen was the Broncos' coach from 2006 to 2013 and is about to begin his second season at Washington.

"After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles," Petersen said in the statement. "In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam's disciplinary record and dismissal."

On Thursday, Ukwuachu was found guilty of sexually assaulting a then-Baylor soccer player in October 2013. He was awaiting sentencing by the jury at the 54th State District Court in Waco, Texas, on Friday. Ukwuachu is seeking probation and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Petersen's statement contradicts what Briles told reporters in Waco, Texas, on Friday morning. Briles said he spoke with Petersen personally but was not informed of any past violent incident before accepting Ukwuachu's transfer to Baylor in 2013.

"No mention of anything beyond Sam being depressed and needing to come home," Briles said. "So that was our information. And that's what you go by."

When asked specifically whether Boise State had informed Baylor of Ukwuachu's disciplinary record, Briles was emphatic in his denial.

"No. No. That's not true," Briles said. "Lord, no. No, there's no truth. Find out who informed us and talk to them, please."

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Coach Briles should have just said NO COMMENT when asked about that player.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

the cover up is always worse than the lie

 

[RS12]

On Thursday, Baylor football coach Art Briles could charitably have been considered an incompetent know-nothing who had little interest in learning the off-the-field truth about a troubled transfer into his program.


On Friday, Briles looks more like a flat-out liar.

Now we'll see whether that's the man the Baptist school in Waco still wants leading its football program.

When Washington coach Chris Petersen issued a statement to ESPN Friday afternoon saying that he personally informed Briles about the reason for defensive end Sam Ukwuachu's dismissal from Boise State (where Peterson used to coach) in 2013, it put Briles' credibility on the front burner. Coaches don't always do what Petersen did. Good for him for speaking up – and bad for Briles.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/art-briles--lie-puts-his-future-at-baylor-in-doubt-203410911.html

 

[Hoofbite]

Seems unlikely that Briles wasn't told just because it seems unlikely that any coach would withhold that sort of information from another head coach. He acknowledges he talked to him but didn't know? You talk to the guy's previous head coach after he was dismissed from the team and you don't ask anything along the lines of, "so why did you give this guy the boot?".

Seems to me he was either indifferent to the information provided, or worse yet just entirely incompetent as it never occurred to him to find out why this player was available.

Would Briles withhold such information if he were in Petersen's position? Seems like a awfully scumbaggish move to let a fellow head coach inherent a potential headache without making him aware of how big that headache might turn out to be.