jonbama

Interview with Terry Bowden April 24, 2001, at his Loachapoka ranch.

Also present was Paul Davis. After our interview, Bowden was expecting a

visit from Dr. Muse that same day at his ranch.Randy Kennedy Editor Former

Auburn University football coach Terry Bowden says the program he inherited

in 1993 included an elaborate system of paying star high school players up

to $15,000 to sign with Auburn and $600 per month while on the team.In

a lengthy interview from the ranch he still owns in Loachapoka, Bowden

alleged that the "pay-for-play" system was orchestrated by powerful AU Board

of Trustees member Bobby Lowder and carried out by former assistant

coach Wayne Hall.Bowden said the corruption extended to former head coach Pat

Dye, and included $30,000 to Atlanta attorneys for Gene Jelks in order to

sustain the former University of Alabama player while he leveled charges of

wrongdoing in the Crimson Tide program.Bowden said he learned of the major NCAA

infractions within days of being named Auburn's head coach, but kept

quiet while trying to clean up the program from within."I broke the

rules," Bowden said. "I told Wayne Hall to pay it off to the players we already had

and it will never happen again. I was hiding a dirty secret."Bowden said

the payment of players can be traced to Lowder, who Bowden said is the

unquestioned leader of the AU athletic department."Nothing was done

without Lowder knowing."Wayne Hall and Pat Dye paid $30,000 for lawyers in

Atlanta to keep Gene Jelks talking. This came from the money that had been

used to pay Auburn players.In 1991 when I was at Samford, Wayne Hall called

to ask about a job for Katherine Lowder at Samford. Bobby Lowder then

called and he said he would contribute money to Samford equal to Katherine's

salary as long as we didn't tell her where the money came from. Katherine and

my wife became good friends.Then the Eric Ramsey thing hit. One day

Katherine sticks her head in my office door and says, "Dye is leaving and my dad

wants you to be coach at Auburn."Dye resigned a week later. Lowder made him

resign because Lowder was sure Auburn was going to get the death penalty if

he didn't resign.I met with Lowder, Mike McCarter and Ruel Russell at

Ruel's office in Birmingham. They asked me all the questions, and I thought

it was a job interview. Then they said, we need to get you an interview.

They got John Montgomery Sr. to officially recommend me to be interviewed.The

night before the interview, Lowder told me "here's how the interview will

go." This was three hours on the phone like a lawyer prepping his

client.There were six candidates - Larry Smith, Mack Brown, Dick Sheridan, Pat

Sullivan, Wayne Hall and me. Everyone agreed that whoever the coach was going

to be, the decision had to be unanimous. I think Lowder wanted Wayne Hall,

but he knew he couldn't get him approved. I was the backup.I was the last

to interview, then the committee immediately took a vote that day.

Somebody was opposed to every candidate until they voted on me last. That's how I

got the job.Lowder said he wanted me to hire Wayne Hall as an assistant.

Tommy (Bowden, Terry's brother and a member of the Pat Dye staff) told me

that if you wanted anything done you gotta go through Hall.My second day on

the job (athletic director Mike) Lude said "you can't hire Hall." But then I

understand Lowder called and said that if I couldn't hire Hall we

will find a new president. So I hired Wayne Hall.One week on the job, Hall

came in with a ledger of players who have been paid, who paid the money, how

much money and when it was paid. He said we've still got 9-12 players

that we're paying $600 per month. We paid then $12,000-$15,000 to sign. We sign

about four every year that we pay.(Former assistant coach Rodney) Garner

paid most of the players. He was paid when he was a player at Auburn.(Stacey)

Danley is the assistant compliance guy, and he was paid when he was a

player.I broke the rules. I said pay it off, and it will never happen again.

Hall said "OK, but you will change your mind."Katherine came to Auburn as

my assistant, but she worked for Colonial. We were real close.I told

Lowder "We have cash all over."Lowder said "I told Wayne not to collect more

than we had to have to pay the players."Wayne had a safe in his house where

he kept the money.Within two weeks of me being hired they told me about

paying Jelks.Nothing was done without Lowder knowing. I will go under oath

and say that Lowder looked me in the eyes and said, "I didn't want Wayne to

collect more money than we needed to pay the players."I was hiding a dirty

secret.We were paying (star running back and current Washington Redskin) Steve

Davis and his cousin the fullback. It took about two years to get it all

cleaned up. Most the guys we were paying weren't any good and weren't

helping us win games. Steve Davis was the exception. HERE IS HOW IT WORKSFifty to

60 men give $5,000 per year. Wayne would collect it. These are all good

men.They didn't ask questions. The coach tells them that everybody cheats so

we have to.My first two years we went 11-0 and 9-0-1. My third year,

(assistants Jimbo) Fisher and (Rick) Trickett said, "Hall is on the phone a lot

with Lowder." I thought he was going back to cheating. I told Hall that

when the season was over he needed to move on. I told Garner that I was

taking him off coaching for a year. That was the beginning of the end for

me.Jimmy Rane was in on all of this. He is high maintenance. Three current Board

of Trustees members gave cash to players - Rane, Spina and McWhorter.

Jimmy is a wannabe, a jock sniffer, a loose cannon. He wants to be involved

in everything.After I fired Wayne, (athletic director David) Housel

came on. I don't dislike David, but David would get his feelings hurt if I

called Lowder. I told David what Wayne was doing.Lowder said (of Housel)

"He's not a good AD, but he's my AD."David Dideon compliance guy, Jay Jacobs

parking passes, Tim Jackson tickets. All are GAF members. Gerald Leschuck

was keeping Lowder informed.By my last year I'm having my house checked

for bugs. Danny Rane (son of Jimmy Rane and a walk-on Auburn player) was

giving our practice tapes to Mississippi State, our opponent.Tommy

Tuberville had been promised the job if we lost to Alabama in the game when we

kicked the field goal here to win.After that season, I thought about taking the

University of Texas job, but (Governor Fob) James was getting rid of

Lowder. Then Lowder stayed on the Board and I was stuck.I thought then that

I needed to win one more year and get out.When I got here Lowder said don't

talk to Muse, he's weak and his wife is a n----r lover. Lowder told me John

Denson was trying to kill him.The last week I was coach:Monday - The

Huntsville Tmes runs a story that says an undisclosed sources says that Bowden

has lost the confidence of the Board of Trustees and he must win four of

the last five games to keep his job.I lied to my staff and told them

that I had talked to Lowder, the story was not true and everything was OK. I

was trying to keep up morale.Tuesday - (Defensive coordinator Bill) Oliver

brings a hidden tape recorder into our coaches meeting. I believe this was

because Lowder wanted to have proof that I told a lie about talking to him

the day before.Wednesday - I had a 7 a.m. meeting with Housel. He asked if I

had seen the article in the Huntsville Times. He said he had talked to

Lowder, and Lowder wanted me to know that he was the undisclosed source. He

said he also wants you to know that he doesn't care if you win five of your

next six, you're out. David said the only way I would keep my job was if

Fob James wins (the governor's race). Thursday - I brought in my lawyer,

Ricky Davis, and said to David that I wanted to resign. He called Lowder

while we at in his office and we worked out a settlement. Muse didn't even

know. They were using Oliver. They were never going to hire him. When I resigned

it shocked them.

Auburn is a second rate program that had a pretty good run the past few years. I think that the past two weeks have really shown this to be true. Sure, it's an sec school with a decent athletics budget but I don't think it is/was an extremely desirable job. I think Gill would have gone, but I don't think others were too quick to jump on it.

I just read this and it makes sense.

The night of the Alabama-Auburn game after Auburn gets drilled 36-0 a

prominent Auburn booster and board member (not the bank owning one, the

yellow cowboy hat wearing one) calls Houston Nutt to inquire what it might

take for him to come to the turdliest village on the plains. Apparently

stealing Ole Miss coaches is a pasttime in Auburn.

Well, as we may recall Tubbs got a somewhat unique non-interference clause

in his last contract following Jetgate. Auburn pledged to Tuberville that

neither the school president nor athletics director or anyone acting under

their authority "shall discuss or negotiate directly or indirectly Auburn's

prospective employment of any other person as Head Football Coach of Auburn"

without giving Tuberville prior notice. In non-lawyerese it basically means

that if Auburn got caught monkeying around with a new coach behind Tubbs'

back again he gets paid alot.

Unfortunately for Auburn, Nutt's agent is Jimmy Sexton. Tubbs' agent is

Jimmy Sexton. Whoopsie.

Tubbs walks in the following Monday discussing his intentions to resign and

wants his money now that he knows his contract has been breached. Multi-day

discussions ensue and end with Tuberville's official resignation on December

3 and Auburn paying him the buyout anyway because it "is the right thing to

do." Yes, its the right thing under the contract, otherwise who pays buyouts

for resignations right?

Now, guess who Gene Chizik's agent is? Right, Jimmy Sexton. Nutt gets a

salary bump (more money for Jimmy) and an extension. Now, how does Auburn

keep Jetgate II from hitting the front of ESPN in an embarrassing manner?

Hmmm, perhaps by hiring a Sexton client who needs to get out of his personal

football coaching hell known as Iowa State? How else is he going to go

anywhere with that 5-19 record.

This seems to explain the inexplicable way in which this all went down.

I wonder if that means that the deal with the dexateens fell through. I was really looking forward to that double bill. At least there is a bottletree date.

Alabama deserves a better game than Utah.

Picks for the big game tomorrow?

 

I say Florida.. But it's going to be close.. I predict high scoring, and the winner gets it by a field goal.

bama, but it will be close

Birmingham News is officially reporting that ears is out at Auburn. There are also reports that Petrino and Leach have been contacted about the job. This comes one day after Colonial Bank got a $500 million bailout. That sure created a lot of petty cash for Bobby Lowder to pay that $6 million buyout.

Taylor Hollingsworth is a great guitar player for sure.

Where is this word coming from? I love the sound of that.

matt patton, the bassist for the dexateens.

hoping they can get on a good tour as an opener to boost their visibility a bit

They are opening for Iron & Wine here Saturday. They are headlining their own tour at the first of the year with the Dexateens opening. At least that's the word, would be a great bill.

I thought this was funny

I am worriedabout all of Bama's remaining games but we damn well better not lose to auburn again. I also disagree that auburn has a pretty good team. they have zero direction and no standout players. they are as mediocre as it gets.

Yeas, Verbena was supposedly going to turn Birmingham into the new Seattle. They were a big deal around these parts and everyone from the band has done pretty well on their own. Duquette (Daniel) Johnson's new one, Etowah, is solid and I am a fan of all of Taylor Hollingsworth's music.

I didn't do a search on him before i posted. hopefully there isn't another thread. if there is, sorry.

Well, the barners looked pretty bad again last night. I think people might start to realize that Tubbs is a pretty mediocre coach that has gotten by with some good (not great) team the last few years. I think now that Franklin is speaking out it is shedding even more light on the situation. It will be interesting to see what his fate will be. I just don't know who would want to come to Auburn to coach now that Saban is just a few hundred miles up the road in the same state.

Anyone else heard this album? I'm really liking it.

Glad to hear they are still doing the two sets. Tickets say 8 for Atlanta, did they start fairly close to the announced time in Dallas?

I'm looking forward to this friday night in Atlanta and was wondering if anyone had been to any of the other shows this tour and could shed some light on what time they have been hitting the stage and how long they have been playing. I'm trying to decide whether to drive back home that night or stay in Atlanta. Any insight is certainly appreciated.

I thought they would get rid of Franklin Sunday but when that didn't happen I figured he was safe. Hell, the Arkansas game might have been a good time for him to let loose with the ol spread eagle offense. I have to give it to them though, they had a problem and they addressed it. I'm just not sure how an already confused offense is going to react to a new OC mid season.

The thing I worry about is that Saban has raised the market price for college coaching to an exorbitant level. That can't be a good thing. It just can't.

 

That said, I'm not looking forward to our chances (UK) in the game tomorrow. I'm not one for whining, but this is a pretty tough opener for on-the-road conference play. And our 4-0 record isn't quite as menacing as it looks on paper. We'll see...

Hell, you never know. UK has looked pretty solid but definitely a different caliber of team for them tomorrow. As far as salaries go, it doesn't bother me too much. None of the funds come out of the education budget or anything and it certainly attracts folks to the school. I think it pays in the end.

Cake walks are overrated. I'd much rather have the Big Ten recover to full strength again and risk dropping a few games here and there rather than watching a team sleepwalk through the season with swelled heads and get thrashed when they finally face real competition.

Yeah, I was joking. Those schedules are a joke and it usually shows in the bowl games. Either way. I hear Dre Kirkpatrick has already picked out his roommate in Tuscaloosa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SJP8hfsDqU

[quote name='MJHutch' date='Oct 3 2008, 10:02 AM' post='1212911

App State. That's all I've got to say about that. App State.

Hell, I went to App State for undergrad. Definitely one of the more memorable games I can remember. Too bad we sucked while I was there. And damn if Bama didn't suck when I was in law school. Damn Shula.

It is nice to see Alabama being awesome again.

I have to agree. I didn't imagine we would get our program turned around so quickly. Last weekend might have been the best athens trip I have ever made and I look for this weekend in Tuscaloosa to be equally grand. Definitely a little worried about LSU though (and of course Auburn). Hell, Ole Miss looks pretty good under Nutt too. It's a long road in the SEC. I wish we could play more of an Ohio State of Michigan schedule. You know, one that's more of a cake walk and all.

Protest Records has a bunch of free protest songs that are for the most part pretty recent.

http://www.protest-records.com/mp3/index.html