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Price probe Report claims bleeding woman left ex-coach's house
Posted: Wednesday November 17, 1999 12:25 PM
EMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Former University of Memphis basketball coach Tic Price issued a statement saying his unexpected resignation was a result of "personal failings." Price resigned Sunday and neither he nor university officials have said what prompted the move. The university released documents indicating the resignation was related to allegations Price had an affair with a 23-year-old student and assaulted her at his Germantown home. "I resigned because I did not want to hurt the University of Memphis, my players or my staff," Price said in a statement read Tuesday by lawyer AC Wharton. "They were not at fault. My resignation was necessary due to personal failings on my own part. At some point in the future, I will issue a more detailed statement." Wharton would not reveal the whereabouts of Price, who hired Wharton and another lawyer this week. When asked about Price's reference to "personal failings," Wharton said: "In all honesty, every citizen who can read and who has a conscience, I don't think would require much elaboration and definition for that to be understood." Two anonymous faxes were sent to the university. The first, sent on Oct. 11, provided no specific names but accused Price of assaulting a woman on Oct. 2 at his home, located right outside of Memphis, according to the newspaper. At the bottom of the fax are notes from Rawlins's assistant stating that Price denied denied an inappropriate relationship with the student. "RCJ [Johnson] discussed w/Coach Tic Price who stated this is absolutely not true," according to the notes. The second fax, which came Friday, provided the university with more details about Price's alleged relationship with the student. It said she traveled with him during recruiting visits and "would even spend nights with him before every home game in his suite at the Crown Plaza Hotel." The second fax also accused him of assault. Johnson contacted Price on Saturday and the two began negotiations Sunday. Price, who made about $400,000 annually, signed a confidentiality agreement and the university agreed to pay him his full salary plus the money he would have received for radio and TV through the end of January, equaling about $56,400, according to the newspaper. His contract was to expire at the end of the 2001-02 season. Price is said to be staying at an undisclosed out-of-town location. Calls made to his home by the newspaper were not immediately returned. Friends of Price who talked to him late Sunday and early Monday described the coach as being embarrassed, according to the newspaper. The school has named associate head coach Johnny Jones interim coach for the season. The Tigers leave for Hawaii on Friday and meet Georgetown in Monday's opening round of the Maui Invitational.
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