Gary and the Athletic Department Are Getting Into It

It seems very clear that Kathy Worthington (the associate AD) is much at fault for some of this transfer business. She has been mentioned in many articles as being the whistle blower against potentially breaking NCAA rules and seemingly caused Gus Gilchrist to transfer. She clearly has it in for Gary Williams as she felt the need to call the sun paper yesterday to lay the blame on Gary for the transferring problems. Who the F does this lady think she is?

The underlying problem here that seems to be getting swept under rug by fans is that Gary decides who to recruit, not the AD or associate AD. If there were rules issues surrounding Gilchrist, it should be known BEFORE Gary brings the name to the AD office. If he is bringing a felon into the program, you cannot depend on what the kid tells you or let it get to the point where reporters disclose what had previously been undisclosed. I do not think anyone has attacked Gary for being dirty in his recruiting but he is mighty defensive about it. How many times has he insisted on how clean he a program he runs. You can get mighty close to the line without crossing it. Just ask the car dealer who funded Saint John Wooden’s UCLA program. I am ready for a change but have never thought or said Gary cheats. I dont care if he is a saint AND the best basketball Xs and Os guy ever. The program is in a downward spiral, it’s level of performance is not what I expect as an alum, a fan or a supporter. If the admission requirements are tight, so be it. They are what they are and while we can advocate a change, they arent different than pre NC, I believe. If Gary has repeatedly brought criminals to the AD for approval with only part of the story revealed, it is no wonder that the AD doesnt trust the basketball program. Gary can run a clean program and still not meet expectations. He might stick to the rules and still not graduate players, win games or otherwise meet program standards. I am not inside enough to lay blame on the personal animus but the events of the last year, from my vantage point sure look like a desperate coach going after players he would not have chased previously because he knws he is embattled. Whether it is criminal records or mentor demanding a job, he has seemingly reduced character standards to improve the on court performance. That doesnt mean he doesnt run a clean program. But it makes his souring relations with the AD office understandable IMO.

First, Yow is away grieving so she possibly did not make the decision to escalate this. I just dont know if the call was hers. Second, financially, Yow has done a fantastic job. I recall the state of athletic dept finances when she came and she has built Comcast plus done a lot to Byrd to keep it usable as it ages. Third, I might be wrong so please correct me if I am, but arent the restraints which Gary and Ralph get frustrated over legacies from the dark days? I thought that the University put them in place on themselves in their misguided hope that if they policed themselves, the NCAA would not see a need to go any further. Of course that hope was dashed but we are still left with those legacies from pre Gary era. Am I wrong? Has Yow put in further tough restrictions that chafe Gary’s backside? Or is she taking heat for restrictions that came in about the same time as Gary and for the same reason as Gary?

Did the original poster really say the Assoc AD was at fault because she blew the whistle on proposed actions which would break NCAA rules?? Isnt it her job to prevent rules violations from being committed by the University? Am I misreading this comment?

I obviously dont know the facts but I am gonna guess that we will hear more on the Gilchrist matter. I cant shake the gut feeling that something was promised to the leech of an AAU hanger on who shadows him and that is why the Assoc AD said not to let him out of his commitment so easily. Again, no facts. I just dont believe he left VaTech over the shooting and left Md after putting a so much time in because he would miss a few games against our typical early season schedule. I cannot shake the feeling in my gut that the athletic dept nixed employing GG’s personal leech and didnt want to make it easy on him to bail on his commitment to play for the Terps over that sleazy demand.. We likely will ever know for sure what the truth is on the events of the past year.