The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 10, 2003, Image 14

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Thursday, April 10, 2003
SPORT
THE BATTALION
Kansas fires athletic director
Move made as Jayhawks attempt to keep William
By Doug Tucker
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University
of Kansas fired Athletic Director A1 Bold
on Wednesday.
Bohl had numerous clashes with popular
men’s Basketball Coach Roy Williams,
whose Jayhawks lost to Syracuse in the
NCAA championship game earlier this week.
Bohl was hired in 2001 to replace
Williams’ close friend and longtime
Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick.
Bohl’s job seemed to be in jeopardy
since rumors surfaced in February that
UCLA would pursue
Williams for its head coach
ing job after the season.
Speculation intensified
after North Carolina Coach
Matt Doherty resigned before
the Final Four. Williams, a
Tar Heel alumnus, passed on
the job three years ago.
“I would not resign,”
Bohl told The Associated
Press. “I was fired.”
Despite the widely reported rift
atmosphere somewhat difficult.”
Hemenway appointed A. Drue
Jennings, a Kansas graduate, former foot
ball player and the former chief executive
of Kansas City Power & Light, interim
athletic director.
Hemenway said he discussed leader
ship of the department with Bohl during
the past few months, as well as with
coaches, other athletic department staff
members, alumni and donors.
“On the basis of these conversations and
my own evaluation of the situation. I came
to the conclusion that a change of leadership
was needed at this time,” Hemenway said,
adding that he made the decision before the
end of the basketball season.
We had difficulties, and we were not
as cohesive as the athletic department
needs to be. This made the atmosphere
somewhat difficult.
— Roy Williams
Kansas head basketball coach
between Williams and Bohl, and the cur
rent opening at North Carolina, Kansas
Chancellor Robert Hemenway denied he
fired Bohl to convince Williams to stay.
“We have to trust him (Williams) to make
the right decision now,” Hemenway said.
Williams said Bohl tried “extremely
hard,” but also acknowledged that differ
ences existed.
“It is always sad for the individual
involved when a situation such as this
occurs and a change is made,” Williams
said in the statement. “We had difficulties,
and we were not as cohesive as the athlet
ic department needs to be. This made the
Bohl told The AP that he would meet
with reporters at his home later Wednesday.
“They wouldn’t even let me talk with
the media on campus,” said the 55-year-
old Bohl, who was hired specifically to
help repair the school’s football program.
Bohl served as athletic director at
Toledo and Fresno State, and was credited
with turning around the football programs
at both schools.
His biggest move at Kansas was to fire
football coach Terry Allen with two games
left in the 2001 season, and replace him
with Oklahoma offensive coordinator
Mark Mangino.
Williams expressed his displeasure with
Bohl’s decision to fire Allen. Williams was
especially angry that Allen was fireddii
ing the season. Just a few months befe;
Allen was fired, Williams was a promine
coach at an ethics seminar and endorsed:
proposal urging schools not to fire a coat!
whose sport was in season.
“And then it happens at my veryo*
school,” Williams said at the time. “Ho
embarrassing.”
Bohl countered, “Roy is the basketk
coach, and I am the director of athletics
was hired to fix this football program,ait
that’s what I’m going to do.”
Bohl’s support among alumni ai:
important contributors was affected whet
his clash with Williams went public.
During a pep rally at Ik
Final Four in New Orlear
Bohl was booed by Kaih.
fans. He was later asked ill
were possible for himtoti
effective while being da
unpopular.
“The cheers far <»■
weighed the boos,” k
said. “Yes, they booci
Are you kidding me?Yoi
guys have been writinsi
like it’s a case where Bohl’s got logo,
Roy’s going to stay here. Hey, it’s be:
pretty good music that we’ve been tot»
Final Fours. Those people - they dor
even know Al Bohl.”
Williams said Tuesday he planned::
meet with former North Carolina coad
Dean Smith, and it was expected he woii
again receive an offer to return to Chapi
Hill. Bohl had pledged to do all he could
keep Williams at Kansas.
“For sure, what we do in basketballistli
result of Roy Williams and our team,” Bo:
said earlier this week. “It doesn’t malic
how maliciously I’m attacked in my chan
ter. I’m going to keep going forward.”
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Masters set to begin
amid controversy
By Doug Ferguson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger
Woods didn’t have to hit a single
shot for the show to begin at this
year’s Masters.
As Woods played his final
practice round Wednesday at
soggy Augusta National, atten
tion shifted from his bid for an
unprecedented third straight
green jacket to a cramped room.
More than 60 men, all wear
ing the coveted symbol in golf,
flanked chairman Hootie Johnson
in a stubborn defense of the
club’s all-male membership.
“If I drop dead this second,
our position will not change on
this issue,” the 72-year-old
Johnson said. “It’s not my
issue alone.”
Beyond the gates of Augusta
National lurks a foreign sensa
tion: controversy.
About a half-mile down the
street from Magnolia Lane, local
officials have set aside a 5.1-acre
grassy lot for demonstrations —
and not just for Martha Burk and
her National Council of
Women’s Organizations, who
have pressured the club for the
last nine months to add its first
female member.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson plans
to protest with Burk.
They will be joined by two
groups protesting Burk, another
protesting Jackson, a one-man
faction of the Ku Klux Klan sup
porting Augusta National and a
man who calls his group “People
Against Ridiculous Protests.”
Anyone who thought Augusta
National might cave in to pres
sure and allow a woman to wear
a green jacket was met — again
— by utter defiance during a 22-
minute news conference.
“There may well come a wl
when we include women
members of our club, and te
remains true,” he sai'
“However, I want to emphasis
that we have no timetable, ait
our membership is very conifofl
able with our present status.’’
Johnson cut loose his fot
sponsors to keep them outai
the fray.
“I think it’s kind of sad,”sai
Burk. “He’s firmly planting to
seat in the last century.
Players have been draggf
into the debate, too.
Woods would like to stf
Augusta National admit wontf
members, although the
No. 1 player concedes he has*
influence on club matters.
Already the most dominate
player in golf, Woods looks bef
than ever after taking two monl
off for surgery on his left knee
“It’s not a golf course wheit
feel like I’m learning somedi;
every time I play it, or I have to®
out there and learn something
Woods said. “I feel as if I have
pretty good understanding oflio"
to play each and every hole.”
Ernie Els has moved uptoNe
2 in the world by winning H
times in the last 16 monlb
including the first two PGA Ton
events. Right behind is Davii
Love III, who is coming offi
final-round 64 to win The Played
Championship.
For Els and other players, lb
biggest distraction is not the con
troversy swirling around the cM
it’s the name that is so often atofl
the leaderboard.
“Let’s face it,” Els sab
“Tiger’s going to be there.”
Unlike previous Masters, ev®
that won’t guarantee him beiif
the only show in town.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Advance tickets
available at
Rother’s Bookstores,
Cavenders Boot City
and online at the
Pat Green website
www.patgreen. com
check out our website at www.bcsclubs.com
Aggie Dance Team
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May 3rd
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Frep Classes
April 12th & 26th
690-1813
Jennifer Hart
Aggie Pence Team Pirector
www.a3gjieathletic6.com
jhart^athlet-ice.tamu.edu
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