UA president would have resigned had trustees opposed him
TUSCALOOSA | University of Alabama President Robert Witt would have resigned if the board of trustees did not accept his decision to fire former head football coach Mike Price, a UA official said Thursday. Pat Whetstone, director of Alumni Affairs for UA, confirmed for the first time what has been widely speculated since Price was fired May 3, 2003. Whetstone told more than 500 students at a youth leadership conference on Alabama's campus that he was with Witt the day before, during and after the trustees' meeting. "What a lot of people don't know ... When President Witt went into the room, he had two pieces of paper in his hand," Whetstone told the audience. "One was the announcement of the termination of Coach Price. The other was the announcement of his own resignation. "It was going to be one or the other." Whetstone said he discussed the background into Price's firing as an example of a how to be a "strong leader." "If I knew there was press there, I wouldn't have been so candid," Whetstone said late Thursday afternoon. "I was making a point. I never spoke directly to President Witt, and I never saw the papers. But I know that's the truth." Whetstone's comments come in the midst of a multimillion dollar lawsuit by Price against Sports Illustrated. Price also sued Witt and UA citing wrongful termination, but that case was dismissed. Witt was not available for comment on Thursday. Janet Griffith, a university spokeswoman, said "board members unanimously voiced their support for Dr. Witt's decision, whatever that decision was. He did not offer his resignation, nor was it discussed." Whetstone also told students that "President Witt had a difficult decision" and that "several of the trustees didn't agree" when "Witt knew he had to terminate Price." "He had very few people standing up with him that day," Whetstone said of Witt, who has said in a deposition that he fired Price because of public misconduct. Board members John England, Jr. and Peter Lowe said they were not aware of the two pieces of paper or of Witt's decision to resign if they did not back him on Price's firing. "I wasn't aware of that," England said. "I cannot confirm or deny that happened because this is the first I've heard of it." Said Lowe, "That never happened when I sat in the room. It was unanimous with the board that the decision was to be left up to Dr. Witt. [His resignation] was never brought up." Stephen Heninger, Price's attorney in the lawsuit against Time, Inc., the parent company of Sports Illustrated, said he was shocked at Whetstone's revelations. "I'm surprised he was that bold in his comments," Heninger said. "It makes me sad. Sad for my client, sad for the university." Heninger said he had heard Witt had made such threats but that Witt said he'd made no such threats. "If anything, it bolsters our theory of what happened," Heninger said. "... He had a tremendous card to play there. It was a foregone conclusion. The school was in a terrible position -- to fire the newly hired coach or to lose the newly hired president." But Whetstone and other officials see Witt's decision as "courageous." "If that did indeed occur, I see a man of character," said John Mason, UA's faculty senate president. "His first official day was March 1, 2003. Not too many new presidents would take on a board of trustees. He's a man of conviction." Whetstone agreed. "In my own mind, he's a strong leader," Whetstone said. "He has the courage of his convictions, and that's a positive for this university. That's why I used him as an example to the students, along with Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln." During his speech to the students, Whetstone asked that the comments be off the record to the media, meaning that they not be reported. "It is our custom to honor off the-record agreements we make with sources before information is provided to us," said Tuscaloosa News Managing Editor Gregory Enns. "But the reality is that we were invited to the seminar, no conditions were placed on our attendance and we made no agreement with anyone beforehand on what we'd be allowed to report. "Mr. Whetstone also made the comments in a public venue with hundreds of people attending. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040227/NEWS/40227 0374/1007 ______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List "Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!" To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
