Tennessee AD: I trust coach Butch Jones ‘implicitly’
Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart stood by football coach Butch Jones on Thursday in the wake of a affidavit filed in a lawsuit against the university.
According to a Wednesday filing in the suit, Jones allegedly called former UT wide receiver Drae Bowles a “traitor” and told him that he betrayed the team by helping a woman allegedly sexually assaulted by two football players.
Jones responded to the suit Wednesday evening with a statement and said the court process will “establish that I have done nothing wrong. I will fight all of these false attacks on my character and I know that once this process has been completed my reputation will be affirmed.”
Hart, who was not present at the joint press conference held Tuesday by Jones and other coaches, said he trusts Jones “implicitly.” A tweet from an ESPN reporter Wednesday evening cited a source that said Bowles’ affidavit counters what he said previously.
Sources told me UT, independent of athletics, investigated Bowles retaliation allegations in 2014, and Bowles said Jones handled it properly
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) February 25, 2016
The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, alleges that Tennessee didn’t do enough when it came to supporting those who report sexual assaults and violated Title IX protocol. It was initially filed by six women and two more joined the suit on Wednesday.
Former Tennessee players A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams are facing rape charges for the 2014 incident where Jones reportedly made the accusations against Bowles. The affidavit also states that Bowles was punched by linebacker Curt Maggitt in the locker room and threatened by two other players in the athetic dining hall.
Six UT football players from the team’s 2014 roster have been accused of sexual assault.
During his media availability Thursday, Hart unsurprisingly praised the positives at Tennessee and noted that the bad doesn’t overshadow the good. He also said that he didn’t feel his job was threatened and said he had a good relationship with chancellor Jimmy Cheek.
“I think that his knowledge of the hill that we’ve had to climb, I think he’s respectful,” Hart said. “He’s right where I am on this topic, we’ve got todo more. We’ve got to do better, everybody on our campus.”
Hart, like Jones, also said Tennessee doesn’t have a culture problem and denied that Tennesee athletes have gotten any preferential treatment when it comes to accusations and alleged violations.
“Our student athletes are treated just like any member of the student body. And they should be, Hart said. “The only difference, that we’ve preached to them on a very regular basis, they’re the most visible university ambassador. That’s a burden to carry wfor someone in that age range of 17 to 22 and we’ve got to help them carry that burden. But no, they’re not treated any differently in this process or any university process.”
For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
