Coach says he took money from three schools

#1

vols2345

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#1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A former high school coach told a federal jury Wednesday that he got offers of money, a job and free law school for his wife before he accepted a $150,000 payoff to steer his best player to sign with Alabama.



Lynn Lang, the former head coach at Trezevant High School, testified for the second day at the trial of Logan Young, a Memphis millionaire who is on trial on federal bribery and money laundering charges.

Lang is awaiting sentencing on a guilty plea to racketeering conspiracy. He said he took the money to convince defensive lineman Albert Means to sign with the Crimson Tide in 2000.

In testimony Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Lang said that coaches at two other Southeastern Conference schools, Kentucky and Georgia, gave him money. He also testified that Tennessee, Mississippi, Michigan State and Arkansas offered money for Means but never paid.

Under cross examination by defense lawyer James Neal on Wednesday, Lang added Memphis to the list of schools that offered him a deal, testifying that then-coach Rip Scherer said he would arrange for Lang's wife to attend law school for free at the university.

Lang also told jurors that Arkansas offered him either an assistant coaching job worth more than $80,000 a year or $150,000 in cash if he delivered Means and another player.

Means, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, previously testified that he let Lang choose his college.

Lang said he began shopping Means around to various colleges in 1999 when he realized how many schools wanted him.

Lang testified that former Kentucky recruiting coordinator Claude Bassett gave $7,000 for work at a camp and a Means visit to campus, and that former Georgia head coach Jim Donnan gave $700 cash for work at a camp. He testified that Bill Harper, a Georgia booster from Memphis, gave him a $100 bill.

But he said that when he was referred to Young by former Crimson Tide assistant coach Ivy Williams, he started the bidding for Means at $50,000. Young "took to it like water," Lang said.

Lang, who made less than $30,000 at Trezevant High, said he kept upping the price until it reached $150,000, which he received in a series of payments each smaller than $10,000, the threshold at which bank transactions must be reported.

Young told him that since the payments were in cash, "If anything happened, it was his word against mine," Lang testified.

Neal also questioned Lang about denials of taking a payoff he made to federal investigators, the NCAA and officials with the Memphis school system.

Means stayed at Alabama for one football season before transferring to Memphis after reports of a payoff to Lang became public.

Alabama's recruitment of Means became part of an NCAA investigation that led to sanctions in 2002 depriving the team of scholarships and bowl eligibility.

Williams and Ronnie Cottrell, another assistant coach who lost his job at Alabama after the investigation, have filed a $60 million defamation lawsuit against the NCAA over the investigation.
 
#3
#3
i dont know. all i know is it was just posted on espn. i dont know if we can get in trouble if we didnt give him anything. but alabama, mephis, georgia, and kentucky could be getting in big trouble.
 
#4
#4
We can't get in trouble for this. We didn't pay him anything. For all anyone knows, he could be making this up. I hope this trash ends sometime soon. It is getting very old!
 
#10
#10
Sure hope the Vols didn't offer any goodies. Looks as if 'Bama did, how about that Tommy Gallion? :censored: you. :finger:
 

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#11
#11
We can't get in trouble for this. First of all, you do know that the NCAA already knew this don't you? Second of all, Tennessee stopped recruiting Means when they found out about what was going on. We were in the right! Our coaches never visited with Albert Means and he never took a visit to Tennessee. I'm assuming that Fulmer found out about some UT booster offered Lang money and that is why Tennessee backed off from recruiting him. Tennessee did the right thing.
 
#12
#12
Originally posted by milohimself@Jan 26, 2005 8:45 PM
Yeah, but if Tennessee did truly offer the money, shame on our recruiters :bad:

The questions are 1) who from UT and the others offered the money? Boosters or UT officials. In this case, it is alleged that a booster (Logan Young) paid but that some officials connected with Bama knew (a double whammy). 2) is Lynn Lang credible? If not, it will work against UT in the Gallion case.

If UT via a booster was involved and UT found out and backed off AM then good for them. I doubt we will ever know.

If you want an indication of the importance of this trial to Bammers, check the board linked from the Volnation. Multiple threads with some "pseudo" testimony from the trial that is being spun all to he**. The conspiracy crowd MUST have an acquittal to back up their beliefs. If LY is found guilty, it will be a result of a biased jury and a judge that has a law degree from UT!

:blink:
 
#13
#13
Many feel it may be hard to get a guilty verdict due to all the stories Lynn Lang has come up with. He has ZERO credibility, as he has changed his story several times. No doubt that Logan is guilty as sin, but he may very well win in court.
 
#14
#14
I believe your assessment is correct orangewizard. It all depends on the strength of the money trail. Can the $ withdrawals from LY be linked directly to deposits/purchases by Lynn Lang? The prosecution says yes. Will the jury agree?
 
#15
#15
Understand this it is FACTS:
UT never at anytime offered money but when asked for money they backed off and quit recruiting Means.
 
#16
#16
You're right volinbham. That is what the prosecution is trying to drill in to the minds of the jury..."follow the money trail.....follow the money". They used that several times in their opening statement.
 
#17
#17
Agreed. Lang has no credibility left at all. He's just trying to take down whoever he can with his "testimony". Wouldn't surprise me if he's getting paid by Bammer to say those things about us and all the other schools.
 
#18
#18
Originally posted by JohnsonCityVol@Jan 27, 2005 10:26 PM
Wouldn't surprise me if he's getting paid by Bammer to say those things about us and all the other schools.

That would be funny if it turned out to be true. Maybe we should start the rumor.
 
#19
#19
Originally posted by milohimself@Jan 26, 2005 8:45 PM
Yeah, but if Tennessee did truly offer the money, shame on our recruiters :bad:

From several reports I've read on the internet some months ago... there is a "so-called" Tennessee booster in Memphis... and I say 'so-called' because from what I've heard he has no ties to the University.... this 'fan' in Memphis has been bragging in bars and on the internet about all that he's done to help Tennessee and coach Fulmer. Also from what I've read, this guy is full of :censored: and likes to brag to make himself feel important.

Some of you may know more about him than me.... he goes by the name 'Tennessee Stud'... I think?
 

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