Ex-Kentucky coach expresses 'great personal remorse'

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - Hal Mumme said the NCAA findings against him for his part in events that led to his departure as University of Kentucky football coach were ``fair&#39;&#39; and that he has ``great personal remorse&#39;&#39; over the matter. <br> <br> Mumme has not spoken publicly about the school&#39;s NCAA penalties or the events that landed the program in trouble, but he issued a statement through his lawyer Monday headed ``Address to all UK fans.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Mumme received a $1 million buyout from Kentucky last February and was forced to resign. <br> <br> Mumme said in the statement that he and his wife, June, ``love UK and the commonwealth&#39;&#39; and that he turned down several job offers during his four years at Kentucky ``because of that love.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> ``The people of Kentucky and especially UK fans have been wonderful, and we shall miss you,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> The NCAA last week placed Kentucky on probation for three years, took away 19 scholarships over that period and banned the Wildcats from postseason play in 2002. <br> <br> Mumme was named in two of the allegations, including one major infraction that he failed to properly monitor former assistant Claude Bassett&#39;s activities. Beyond that public reprimand, Mumme was not penalized and is free to coach in the NCAA immediately. <br> <br> The NCAA said most of Kentucky&#39;s more than three dozen violations were committed by Bassett, who was hit with a ``show cause&#39;&#39; order that equates to an eight-year ban from NCAA coaching. <br> <br> Mumme said in the statement that he knows some fans wanted him to speak publicly about what transpired but he did not because he believes the ``only proper place to talk about this complicated combination of events&#39;&#39; was with the NCAA&#39;s committee on infractions. ``For this I beg your indulgence,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> His lawyer, Travis Bryan, said Mumme does not plan to speak publicly about the situation. He said that Mumme hopes to coach again soon and that he has talked to ``more than a couple&#39;&#39; of colleges and professional teams about jobs. Bryan declined to say if Mumme has been interviewed for any jobs, to name the teams or to say whether he&#39;s seeking a head coaching position or assistant&#39;s job. <br> <br> At least one possibility is as offensive coordinator at Temple. Owls coach Bobby Wallace has confirmed that Mumme is a candidate for that position, which opened when Charlie Fisher left for Vanderbilt. <br> <br> Mumme and Wallace are friends from their days as coaches in the Gulf South Conference, Mumme at Valdosta State and Wallace at North Alabama. Temple went 4-7 last season with an offense that ranked 111th (among 115 teams) in NCAA Division I-A. <br> <br> Mumme&#39;s ``Air Raid&#39;&#39; passing attack led the Southeastern Conference in passing each of his four seasons and produced numerous school and SEC records.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/2/199189