Posted on 04/21/2002 8:38:01 AM PDT by buzzyboop
In a cable TV interview, former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson pulled no punches when discussing his former boss, Frank Broyles.
In an interview with HBO Sports that was obtained by the Arkansas Democrat newspaper, Richardson was asked by Bryant Gumbel if he thought Broyles is a racist. "Somewhat, yes," Richardson responded.
Richardson would not stop there, saying that his former athletic director has been trying to force him out and intimidate him for years. Under tremendous pressure, Richardson was bought out of his contract in March. Despite recent struggles, Richardson had tremendous overall success at Arkansas, including winning the national championship in 1994.
"I think you have a combination with him," Richardson said in the interview with Gumbel. "How could I be this black guy, the second-most powerful man in athletics? How could I be this guy that may possibly succeed him as athletic director?"
Richardson was forced out of Arkansas shortly after making remarks that he was treated differently because he was black. The remarks were aired on national television, and put Richardson in hot water with the school's chancellor. In his outburst, Richardson was also critical of the media and fans. "When I look at all of you people in this room, I see no one look like me, talk like me or act like me," Richardson said during a postgame news conference shortly before his ouster. "Now, why don't you recruit? Why don't the editors recruit like I'm recruiting?"
Richardson was asked by HBO Sports if he thought Broyles was a bully. "Well, I think he is to the people that allow him to be," Richardson said.
Richardson told HBO Sports that he started "disliking things" about Broyles in 1987 when the athletic director told him to go see Bob Knight, who was then Indiana's coach and won his third NCAA championship with the Hoosiers. Richardson had just led the Razorbacks to a 19-14 record and an NIT berth after being below .500 in his first season.
Gumbel asked if Broyles wanted Richardson to learn defense from Knight. "Wanted me to learn defense," Richardson said. "That was humiliating and embarrassing."
Richardson said he also was upset by a memo he received from Broyles at that time criticizing his struggling basketball program, while Richardson's 15-year-old daughter, Yvonne, was dying of leukemia.
"How could you write me a letter telling me all of the things that he expected of me when I'm tending to my kid?" Richardson said. "I'm struggling with my daughter, and there I was being degraded? And (Broyles) knew when I took the job that she was sick. And that just angered me so much. And the only reason he changed a little bit is because we were beginning to win."
Broyles, told of Richardson's comments on Friday, declined comment to the Democrat, saying he makes it a policy not to respond to what others say or write about him. "That's my nature, and that's the way I feel about it," he told the newspaper. "My record speaks for itself."
HBO's interview with Richardson airs on Monday.
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