TheLouisville Cardinal
Vol. XLVI No. IS Room 117, Otter HaD, Louisville, Ky.
Miller says Alley wouldD't
have been fired for losing
by Kenny Vandevelde
President James G. ·Miller has issued a
statement that, in effect, denies that he
would have frred former head football
coach T .W. Alley because of h~ won-lost
record.
The denial was part of a longer
statement issued December 5 attempting
to correct "inaccuracies" in stories
appearing recently in the Courier-Journal
and Louisville Times newspapers.
The statement issued to the press read,
in part, "If a coach is acceptably
educating students in athletic skills and
supervising their athletic activities, I shall
never consider or recommend his removal
regardless of what his won-lost record
may be."
Miller told a Cardinal reporter, in a
telephone interview, that speculation in
the local newspapers that he was
preparing to fire Alley for his two
consecutive losing seasons was
"completely false ."
He observed that his own educational
background was at schools that did not
have strong athletic programs. "At
Harvard, the football coach, believe it or
not, was the associate professor of
ornithology," he noted.
Miller also said that he believed a
university athletic program was "part of a
total educational picture" and that he
would never consider firing a man solely
on the basis of a losing season.
Asked how he would determine if a
coach was performing adequately, if not
by a won-lost record, Miller said he would
use the same criteria he would for
someone in any other position:
conversations with his peers, superiors,
and subordinates.
Miller acknowledged that he had been
aware of the dissatisfaction with Alley's
performance on the part of many people
and that he had received
recommendations from various sources
on what to do, but said that he still had
made no decision concerning Alley's
future when the head football coach
informed him he was resigning.
Alley said in a press statement released
shortly after his resignation that he had
left "in the best interest of the
university." Contacted at horne
Wednesday evening concerning Miller's
recent statement, Alley told the Cardinal
that he had no further comment to wake.
One of the recommendations Miller
received was from a joint meeting of the
University Athletfc Council and the
University Senate Athletic Committee.
According to U of L Director of
Athletics Dave Hart, the meeting had
· been called by Dr. Carl Abner, Chairman
of the athletic council because of
widespread disappointment with the
performance of the team as well as
discontent within the squad over the
outcome of the season.
Hart told the Cardinal that Alley had
also requested earlier in the season that
after the fmal game, the athletic "ouncil
meet with him to "revi~ew the whole
situation."
It was this meeting that precipitated
most of the speculation that Alley was
going to be fired or pressured into
resigning.
The committee idscuss:ed the season
with Alley and then sent a confidential
recommendation to Miller.
Hart noted that contrary to reports
published in the newspaper, Miller was
not present at the meeting.
The allegation that M:iller had been
present was another inaccuracy in
newspaper reports that the president's
pre~ statement sought to correct. The
statement said, "I have never attended
any meeting of any university committee
discussing the recent actions taken
concerning our coaching staff."
Miller's statement sought to correct
another erroneous report. Dave Kindred,
a Courier-Journal sports columnist, had
speculated that U of L was delaying
· action on improving athletic facilities
because of a lack of confidence in Alley.
Miller's response said, "The -lbf L
needs more athletic practic:e facilities but
we did not delay actions nece~ary to
construct these because we lacked faith in
any of our coaches. Out students need
these facilities, not our coaches.
"We shall develop om instructional
and athletic facilities at the rate we can in
terms of our university-wide priorities,
and have no intention of promising
capital corrunitments of any sort to any
candidates for a coaching position."
Photograph by John Beclkm;ut
President Miller has issued a statement that denies he would have fired fonner head
football coach T.W. Alley because of a poor season . .
What lies ahead for student actiVities?
by Kenny V andel'elde
The Chairman of the Union for
Student Activity, Robbie Merrick, will be
stepping down at the end of the Spring
semester after three years in that
position. Though the three applicants for
the chairmanship intend to stay within
the general confines of present policy,
Photograph by Guy Mills
Coach Alley resigned last week and pressure from fans and players disappointed over
the conleadift losiog sea80ns.
there are still _!1 few proposed changes that
could greatly affect certain groups:
• One of the three applicants would
abolish the concept of black activities, as
such, and would attempt to integrate all
USA ft.nctions.
• Two of the applicants would favor
turning a portion of the USA budget over
to the Health Science students and Jetting
them run their own activities program,
while the third candidate favors USA
sponsorship of Health Science campus
activities, after consultation with the
students from that campus.
• Two applicants favor general
expansion of present activities, with
certain modifications, while the third
applicant believes the USA should
sponsor fewer events, but improve the
quality of each individual activity.
Shawn Bryant, the first applicant, is
a sophomore A&S student majoring in
~ology and psychology.
Bryant believes that the USA should
not sponsor actiVities just for black
studnets or any other particular group.
(Continued on page 2)