anyone been following this little saga at tennessee state?
TSU accepts Richardson resignation
By MAURICE PATTON
Staff Writer
Hefner: Gun incident 'beyond belief'
Nolan Richardson III has resigned as men's basketball coach at Tennessee State University in the wake of a Christmas night altercation with an assistant coach that led Richardson to retrieve a gun from his car and take it into the Gentry Center.
TSU President James A. Hefner accepted the resignation last night.
''When a person engages in the type situation Nolan Richardson III engaged in ? no one can visualize that,'' Hefner said. ''What he did is something that was beyond belief in terms of anyone in higher education doing something like that.
''It's abominable. It doesn't make sense. We don't tolerate it. That's why he was suspended, and that's why I have accepted his resignation, effective'' today.
TSU officials said they had no plans to file criminal charges.
Richardson, 38, had been suspended indefinitely on Dec. 26 after a confrontation with assistant coach Hosea Lewis. According to TSU police reports, the two argued over the time of a practice for which only four players showed up. The conversation grew more heated, and Lewis told police that Richardson said, ''Wait right here, I'm going to my car and I got something for you.''
Richardson said in his statement to TSU police that he retrieved a gun from his car. He said the gun was not loaded, but the statement disputed the account that assistant coach Christopher Graves gave TSU police. Graves said, ''I heard the sound of someone racking a handgun and saw Coach Richardson put what appeared to be a gun in the front pocket of his sweatshirt.''
''Racking a handgun'' means to move the slide and eject a shell from the chamber or advance a shell into the chamber before firing.
What's not in dispute is that Richardson is out, and the Tigers will try to regroup.
''I'm pleased that I can say the situation has ended,'' TSU Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. ''I'm really ready to move forward and look to bring some positive, new leadership for Tennessee State men's basketball.''
Richardson, hired after the 1999-2000 season to replace former head coach Frankie Allen, compiled a 23-41 record in two-plus seasons, including a 2-5 record this season before he was suspended. He arrived at Tennessee State after spending 10 seasons as an assistant under his father, former Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson.
In October, the university was notified by the NCAA of an investigation into alleged rules violations by the men's basketball program. That investigation is expected to be concluded by the end of the month. Among the suspected infractions by Richardson and his staff are provision of recruiting inducements, extra benefits to prospective student-athletes and unethical conduct by a member of the coaching staff.
Richardson was not available for comment.
Phillips acknowledged having some empathy for Richardson.
''It's such a public position that everybody thinks they know everything about you, but very few people realize the sacrifices you have to make to coach at this level,'' she said. ''The expectations he had, with his name ?
''Was he properly equipped? Perhaps not. But this is not the way I would have chosen for this to end for him. He has a lot of difficult times ahead. He has a family. I've had a lot of sleepless nights; I've not been able to put the situation out of my head.
''But I'm also the athletics director at Tennessee State, and what his actions have done to our department have bereaved me as well. He's brought great harm, in a cavalier manner, to our department, both in this situation and others as well.''
Lewis will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.
TSU accepts Richardson resignation
By MAURICE PATTON
Staff Writer
Hefner: Gun incident 'beyond belief'
Nolan Richardson III has resigned as men's basketball coach at Tennessee State University in the wake of a Christmas night altercation with an assistant coach that led Richardson to retrieve a gun from his car and take it into the Gentry Center.
TSU President James A. Hefner accepted the resignation last night.
''When a person engages in the type situation Nolan Richardson III engaged in ? no one can visualize that,'' Hefner said. ''What he did is something that was beyond belief in terms of anyone in higher education doing something like that.
''It's abominable. It doesn't make sense. We don't tolerate it. That's why he was suspended, and that's why I have accepted his resignation, effective'' today.
TSU officials said they had no plans to file criminal charges.
Richardson, 38, had been suspended indefinitely on Dec. 26 after a confrontation with assistant coach Hosea Lewis. According to TSU police reports, the two argued over the time of a practice for which only four players showed up. The conversation grew more heated, and Lewis told police that Richardson said, ''Wait right here, I'm going to my car and I got something for you.''
Richardson said in his statement to TSU police that he retrieved a gun from his car. He said the gun was not loaded, but the statement disputed the account that assistant coach Christopher Graves gave TSU police. Graves said, ''I heard the sound of someone racking a handgun and saw Coach Richardson put what appeared to be a gun in the front pocket of his sweatshirt.''
''Racking a handgun'' means to move the slide and eject a shell from the chamber or advance a shell into the chamber before firing.
What's not in dispute is that Richardson is out, and the Tigers will try to regroup.
''I'm pleased that I can say the situation has ended,'' TSU Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. ''I'm really ready to move forward and look to bring some positive, new leadership for Tennessee State men's basketball.''
Richardson, hired after the 1999-2000 season to replace former head coach Frankie Allen, compiled a 23-41 record in two-plus seasons, including a 2-5 record this season before he was suspended. He arrived at Tennessee State after spending 10 seasons as an assistant under his father, former Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson.
In October, the university was notified by the NCAA of an investigation into alleged rules violations by the men's basketball program. That investigation is expected to be concluded by the end of the month. Among the suspected infractions by Richardson and his staff are provision of recruiting inducements, extra benefits to prospective student-athletes and unethical conduct by a member of the coaching staff.
Richardson was not available for comment.
Phillips acknowledged having some empathy for Richardson.
''It's such a public position that everybody thinks they know everything about you, but very few people realize the sacrifices you have to make to coach at this level,'' she said. ''The expectations he had, with his name ?
''Was he properly equipped? Perhaps not. But this is not the way I would have chosen for this to end for him. He has a lot of difficult times ahead. He has a family. I've had a lot of sleepless nights; I've not been able to put the situation out of my head.
''But I'm also the athletics director at Tennessee State, and what his actions have done to our department have bereaved me as well. He's brought great harm, in a cavalier manner, to our department, both in this situation and others as well.''
Lewis will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.
