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Foley scorns Zook's actions
The AD is upset after the coach threatened fraternity members.
By Edgar Thompson
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
GAINESVILLE Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley on Tuesday night called "not acceptable" the behavior of football coach Ron Zook, who engaged in a heated confrontation with members of a fraternity last month.
Foley said he telephoned Zook on Sept. 16 and told him go to the Pi Kappa Phi house to defuse a dispute between fraternity members and Gators players. But when Zook arrived he threatened some fraternity members, according to witnesses.
He said, "I will do anything in my power to take this house down," according to a University Police Department incident report.
A fraternity member says the Gators coach 'threatened me directly.'
Foley said Zook was upset because in the early morning hours that day, three Pi Kappa Phi members allegedly fought with Florida offensive linemen Billy Griffin, Drew Miller and Steve Rissler. Rissler, the No. 1 right guard entering the season, missed the Tennessee game Sept. 18 with a broken nose and leg laceration sustained in the fight.
"I think he was upset because his guys got hurt and I think he let his emotions get the best of him," Foley said Tuesday. "Ron should have gotten his guys out of there and moved on."
Ten to 15 Florida players showed up at Pi Kappa Phi around 9 p.m. Sept. 16, according to the police report. An officer responding to a call from the fraternity then telephoned Foley, who called Zook to have him go there to be a peacemaker.
The report states that Christopher Bullins, the dean of students who oversees Greek life, happened to witness the confrontation. Bullins told officers Zook said to fraternity members, "I'm not going to let you take the (expletive) football team down."
Bullins said he told Zook and his players to leave, and they were complying until one player pointed out Pi Kappa Phi member Justin Bailey to Zook and said Bailey had punched Rissler.
Bullins stated that Zook stopped and told Bailey: "Oh, you're the one who hit Rissler? Oh, you're going to get yours."
Bailey, 20, said Tuesday that Zook "threatened me directly."
Foley said he wasn't privy to the particulars of the exchange, but he did acknowledge that Zook's strong feelings for his players could be a double-edged sword.
"He gets very protective of them," Foley said. "Sometimes that's strength and sometimes it can be a weakness.
"That emotion and those feelings caused him not to have great judgment that night."
Zook has acknowledged this week that Saturday's 24-21 home loss to LSU has gnawed at him. He is 20-12 in his third season as Gators coach, with a 3-2 record this season.
After practice Tuesday, Zook recalled the incident at the fraternity house. He said when he arrived his players were behaving, so he asked fraternity members why they called UPD .
"They said, 'Well, we want to tell you what happened last night,' and I said, 'Well, I don't want to know what happened last night,' " Zook said. "That's for the officials to figure out, not me."
The State Attorney's Office is investigating sworn complaints against three Pi Kappa Phi members Bailey, Aaron Baseman, 19, and Dustin Robinson, 19.
Members of Pi Kappa Phi did not want to discuss either incident in detail.
"I realize it's bad publicity for the fraternity," said one member, who requested anonymity. "But I'm not going to stoop to coach Zook's level."
Florida senior Casey Griffith told UPD that Zook discussed, at practice, the fight between the fraternity members and his players. According to the report, Griffith said Zook was planning to cancel practice Sept. 16 and have the entire team go stand in front of Pi Kappa Phi while its members were eating dinner, but other UF coaches talked Zook out of it.
Foley said he spoke with Zook about his behavior.
"I told him he didn't need to be doing that," Foley said. "He has more things to worry about. He went down there with the right intentions and let his emotions get the best of him.
"That's not acceptable."
Not only is the guy a bad coach he is an idiot as well.
Gunner
:gun:
The AD is upset after the coach threatened fraternity members.
By Edgar Thompson
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
GAINESVILLE Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley on Tuesday night called "not acceptable" the behavior of football coach Ron Zook, who engaged in a heated confrontation with members of a fraternity last month.
Foley said he telephoned Zook on Sept. 16 and told him go to the Pi Kappa Phi house to defuse a dispute between fraternity members and Gators players. But when Zook arrived he threatened some fraternity members, according to witnesses.
He said, "I will do anything in my power to take this house down," according to a University Police Department incident report.
A fraternity member says the Gators coach 'threatened me directly.'
Foley said Zook was upset because in the early morning hours that day, three Pi Kappa Phi members allegedly fought with Florida offensive linemen Billy Griffin, Drew Miller and Steve Rissler. Rissler, the No. 1 right guard entering the season, missed the Tennessee game Sept. 18 with a broken nose and leg laceration sustained in the fight.
"I think he was upset because his guys got hurt and I think he let his emotions get the best of him," Foley said Tuesday. "Ron should have gotten his guys out of there and moved on."
Ten to 15 Florida players showed up at Pi Kappa Phi around 9 p.m. Sept. 16, according to the police report. An officer responding to a call from the fraternity then telephoned Foley, who called Zook to have him go there to be a peacemaker.
The report states that Christopher Bullins, the dean of students who oversees Greek life, happened to witness the confrontation. Bullins told officers Zook said to fraternity members, "I'm not going to let you take the (expletive) football team down."
Bullins said he told Zook and his players to leave, and they were complying until one player pointed out Pi Kappa Phi member Justin Bailey to Zook and said Bailey had punched Rissler.
Bullins stated that Zook stopped and told Bailey: "Oh, you're the one who hit Rissler? Oh, you're going to get yours."
Bailey, 20, said Tuesday that Zook "threatened me directly."
Foley said he wasn't privy to the particulars of the exchange, but he did acknowledge that Zook's strong feelings for his players could be a double-edged sword.
"He gets very protective of them," Foley said. "Sometimes that's strength and sometimes it can be a weakness.
"That emotion and those feelings caused him not to have great judgment that night."
Zook has acknowledged this week that Saturday's 24-21 home loss to LSU has gnawed at him. He is 20-12 in his third season as Gators coach, with a 3-2 record this season.
After practice Tuesday, Zook recalled the incident at the fraternity house. He said when he arrived his players were behaving, so he asked fraternity members why they called UPD .
"They said, 'Well, we want to tell you what happened last night,' and I said, 'Well, I don't want to know what happened last night,' " Zook said. "That's for the officials to figure out, not me."
The State Attorney's Office is investigating sworn complaints against three Pi Kappa Phi members Bailey, Aaron Baseman, 19, and Dustin Robinson, 19.
Members of Pi Kappa Phi did not want to discuss either incident in detail.
"I realize it's bad publicity for the fraternity," said one member, who requested anonymity. "But I'm not going to stoop to coach Zook's level."
Florida senior Casey Griffith told UPD that Zook discussed, at practice, the fight between the fraternity members and his players. According to the report, Griffith said Zook was planning to cancel practice Sept. 16 and have the entire team go stand in front of Pi Kappa Phi while its members were eating dinner, but other UF coaches talked Zook out of it.
Foley said he spoke with Zook about his behavior.
"I told him he didn't need to be doing that," Foley said. "He has more things to worry about. He went down there with the right intentions and let his emotions get the best of him.
"That's not acceptable."
Not only is the guy a bad coach he is an idiot as well.
Gunner
:gun:
