Eckwood43
05-14-2004, 11:02 AM
I'm about sick of this damn trial.......but here's the latest update after the "tar baby" testimony.
Nutt takes stand at Richardson trial
LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Razorback football coach Houston Nutt testified Thursday that he saw former basketball coach Nolan Richardson go on a tirade during a flight from Fayetteville to Pine Bluff several years ago and that Richardson called athletic director Frank Broyles a "white haired devil."
Richardson told Nutt that Broyles "may like you now but wait until your a-- goes 5-6 or 4-7 and see what happens," the football coach testified.
Richardson sued the University of Arkansas and the private Razorback Foundation, claiming he was fired in March 2002 because he was black and outspoken. During the trial, Richardson's lawyer, John Walker of Little Rock, has tried to make a case that the university and its athletic director, Frank Broyles, treated Richardson differently because he is black.
Thursday was the seventh day of the trial that is expected to last through the end of this month.
Broyles and Chancellor John White have both testified that Richardson's lack of confidence in the program and comments after a loss to Kentucky on Feb. 23, 2002, were the reasons why the coach was fired. Richardson told reporters after the Kentucky game that "if they go ahead and pay me my money, they can take the job tomorrow."
Because U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson will be out of town today, Monday and Tuesday, the trial resumes next Wednesday. Nutt is to return to the stand.
During questioning by university attorney JoAnn Maxey, Nutt recounted a trip to Pine Bluff he took before the 2001 football season with Richardson, then-women's basketball coach Gary Blair and Jesse Branch, who at the time was an assistant athletic director.
Nutt said the four were getting onto a small airplane in Fayetteville when Blair said he thought the expansion of the football stadium would help his recruiting. The expansion of the stadium was completed by the fall of 2001.
According to Nutt's testimony, Richardson turned to Blair and said, "What the f--- are you talking about? How is that stadium going to help you?"
During the 40-minute flight, Richardson "went on a tirade, he was really letting things out," Nutt said.
"No one on the plane did any talking the rest of the way," except for Richardson, he said.
Richardson complained about the age and size of the plane they were in and about Broyles, according to Nutt.
After arriving, the four played golf with a group of Razorback supporters and after a dinner Richardson and Nutt spoke to the crowd.
"He had a negative tone," Nutt said, recalling Richardson's comments to the crowd.
Richardson told the crowd that he did not think coaches should be responsible for making sure student athletes graduate, Nutt said.
After the event, according to Nutt, two people in the crowd - Bo Busby and Gerald Skinner - said they were disappointed in Richardson's remarks and said they hoped he would not return to speak to the group the following year.
Almer Lee, the first black to play basketball for the Razorbacks, also attended the event and asked if Richardson was all right, Nutt said.
Also Thursday, Nutt testified that he did not ask for any of the raises he has received since taking over the football program on Dec. 10, 1997.
During questioning from Walker, Nutt testified that he had negotiated a new contract in January after the University of Nebraska expressed interest in him. He said his current salary is about $1,039,000.
Walker also questioned Nutt at length about his negotiations with Nebraska and asked if he was ever offered $1.8 million to take the job. Nutt testified several times that Nebraska offered him that amount through his agent, Jimmy Sexton.
Richardson's attorney also asked several times about a $100,000 bonus Nutt received after the 2000 season. Walker suggested the bonus was for defeating Alabama, which was nationally ranked at the time. Nutt said the raise was for a substantial increase in the number of football tickets sold since he became coach. He said sales had gone from $5 million to $15 million.
Nutt and Walker also sparred over the university's Industrial Technology Education Department. The ITED lost accreditation and school officials have said they plan to phase it out. Nutt said many athletes take courses under that department and included in his negotiations in January was a request that that ITED be kept. He said Broyles and White have not made any guarantees, but they have said they will try to keep it.
When Maxey objected and asked why the line of questioning was relevant, Walker replied that Richardson had opposed the courses and department.
"Oh come on," Nutt replied.
Maxey then noted that several basketball players under Richardson took ITED classes.
Also Thursday, Nutt, an Arkansas native and a Razorback player before transferring to Oklahoma State University, said he would have worked for free that first year at Arkansas.
Nutt said his first contract as Razorback coach was for $471,000 and it included $90,000 for a shoe contract. He testified that he took what he was offered, no questions asked. He also said two $100,000 bonuses he received within the next few years were instigated by Broyles and that he never asked for either one.
In Thursday morning testimony, Fred Vorsanger, the manager of the university's Bud Walton Arena, testified that Richardson often joked about having his contract bought out, but the basketball coach's comments seemed more serious when he made them in front of two journalists.
Under questioning by Walker, Vorsanger said he was given his job by Broyles without having to fill out an application and that he was "overqualified" to manage the arena. Richardson's attorneys have tried to make the case that Vorsanger wasn't qualified and that Richardson had wanted the job but his request was turned down by Broyles.
Asked if Richardson could have handled the arena management job while coaching the Razorbacks, Vorsanger said it would have been impossible.
Vorsanger testified that Richardson said "three or four times" in 2002 that he would leave the school if the university paid him off.
The arena manager, however, said when Richardson made the comment while leaving for the Kentucky game on Feb. 22, 2002, that it seemed more serious.
Wednesday, Richardson's attorney tried to portray conversations between Vorsanger and Richardson, including that Richardson would leave if the university would pay him, as friendly and joking.
Vorsanger said he saw White at a women's basketball game on Feb. 24, 2002, and the chancellor asked him what he thought of the coach's comments after the Kentucky game.
Vorsanger said he wasn't surprised because he had heard the coach say those things before.
Vorsanger said he and White never discussed Richardson or the comments again.
White testified that he decided that evening, after talking to Broyles, that it was time to get rid of Richardson. He said the coach's comments were the key reason for his firing.
Nutt takes stand at Richardson trial
LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Razorback football coach Houston Nutt testified Thursday that he saw former basketball coach Nolan Richardson go on a tirade during a flight from Fayetteville to Pine Bluff several years ago and that Richardson called athletic director Frank Broyles a "white haired devil."
Richardson told Nutt that Broyles "may like you now but wait until your a-- goes 5-6 or 4-7 and see what happens," the football coach testified.
Richardson sued the University of Arkansas and the private Razorback Foundation, claiming he was fired in March 2002 because he was black and outspoken. During the trial, Richardson's lawyer, John Walker of Little Rock, has tried to make a case that the university and its athletic director, Frank Broyles, treated Richardson differently because he is black.
Thursday was the seventh day of the trial that is expected to last through the end of this month.
Broyles and Chancellor John White have both testified that Richardson's lack of confidence in the program and comments after a loss to Kentucky on Feb. 23, 2002, were the reasons why the coach was fired. Richardson told reporters after the Kentucky game that "if they go ahead and pay me my money, they can take the job tomorrow."
Because U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson will be out of town today, Monday and Tuesday, the trial resumes next Wednesday. Nutt is to return to the stand.
During questioning by university attorney JoAnn Maxey, Nutt recounted a trip to Pine Bluff he took before the 2001 football season with Richardson, then-women's basketball coach Gary Blair and Jesse Branch, who at the time was an assistant athletic director.
Nutt said the four were getting onto a small airplane in Fayetteville when Blair said he thought the expansion of the football stadium would help his recruiting. The expansion of the stadium was completed by the fall of 2001.
According to Nutt's testimony, Richardson turned to Blair and said, "What the f--- are you talking about? How is that stadium going to help you?"
During the 40-minute flight, Richardson "went on a tirade, he was really letting things out," Nutt said.
"No one on the plane did any talking the rest of the way," except for Richardson, he said.
Richardson complained about the age and size of the plane they were in and about Broyles, according to Nutt.
After arriving, the four played golf with a group of Razorback supporters and after a dinner Richardson and Nutt spoke to the crowd.
"He had a negative tone," Nutt said, recalling Richardson's comments to the crowd.
Richardson told the crowd that he did not think coaches should be responsible for making sure student athletes graduate, Nutt said.
After the event, according to Nutt, two people in the crowd - Bo Busby and Gerald Skinner - said they were disappointed in Richardson's remarks and said they hoped he would not return to speak to the group the following year.
Almer Lee, the first black to play basketball for the Razorbacks, also attended the event and asked if Richardson was all right, Nutt said.
Also Thursday, Nutt testified that he did not ask for any of the raises he has received since taking over the football program on Dec. 10, 1997.
During questioning from Walker, Nutt testified that he had negotiated a new contract in January after the University of Nebraska expressed interest in him. He said his current salary is about $1,039,000.
Walker also questioned Nutt at length about his negotiations with Nebraska and asked if he was ever offered $1.8 million to take the job. Nutt testified several times that Nebraska offered him that amount through his agent, Jimmy Sexton.
Richardson's attorney also asked several times about a $100,000 bonus Nutt received after the 2000 season. Walker suggested the bonus was for defeating Alabama, which was nationally ranked at the time. Nutt said the raise was for a substantial increase in the number of football tickets sold since he became coach. He said sales had gone from $5 million to $15 million.
Nutt and Walker also sparred over the university's Industrial Technology Education Department. The ITED lost accreditation and school officials have said they plan to phase it out. Nutt said many athletes take courses under that department and included in his negotiations in January was a request that that ITED be kept. He said Broyles and White have not made any guarantees, but they have said they will try to keep it.
When Maxey objected and asked why the line of questioning was relevant, Walker replied that Richardson had opposed the courses and department.
"Oh come on," Nutt replied.
Maxey then noted that several basketball players under Richardson took ITED classes.
Also Thursday, Nutt, an Arkansas native and a Razorback player before transferring to Oklahoma State University, said he would have worked for free that first year at Arkansas.
Nutt said his first contract as Razorback coach was for $471,000 and it included $90,000 for a shoe contract. He testified that he took what he was offered, no questions asked. He also said two $100,000 bonuses he received within the next few years were instigated by Broyles and that he never asked for either one.
In Thursday morning testimony, Fred Vorsanger, the manager of the university's Bud Walton Arena, testified that Richardson often joked about having his contract bought out, but the basketball coach's comments seemed more serious when he made them in front of two journalists.
Under questioning by Walker, Vorsanger said he was given his job by Broyles without having to fill out an application and that he was "overqualified" to manage the arena. Richardson's attorneys have tried to make the case that Vorsanger wasn't qualified and that Richardson had wanted the job but his request was turned down by Broyles.
Asked if Richardson could have handled the arena management job while coaching the Razorbacks, Vorsanger said it would have been impossible.
Vorsanger testified that Richardson said "three or four times" in 2002 that he would leave the school if the university paid him off.
The arena manager, however, said when Richardson made the comment while leaving for the Kentucky game on Feb. 22, 2002, that it seemed more serious.
Wednesday, Richardson's attorney tried to portray conversations between Vorsanger and Richardson, including that Richardson would leave if the university would pay him, as friendly and joking.
Vorsanger said he saw White at a women's basketball game on Feb. 24, 2002, and the chancellor asked him what he thought of the coach's comments after the Kentucky game.
Vorsanger said he wasn't surprised because he had heard the coach say those things before.
Vorsanger said he and White never discussed Richardson or the comments again.
White testified that he decided that evening, after talking to Broyles, that it was time to get rid of Richardson. He said the coach's comments were the key reason for his firing.