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[DKW 86 7,419]

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Tuberville 'confident' in Auburn probe

Coach doesn't think NCAA will get involved in grading allegations

By BILL SANDERS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/19/06

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said Tuesday that he was confident that the university investigation into a sociology professor's classes that some football players attended would be over quickly and that the NCAA would not get involved.

Tuberville, until now, has been quiet about the allegations professor James Gundlach levied against colleague Thomas Petee. Gundlach claims that Petee gave easy A's to his students and that his class became a popular among football players. And while Tuberville didn't address the matter in front of the Atlanta Auburn Club meeting Tuesday night, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had no worries about the matter.

JESSICA MCGOWAN / Special

(ENLARGE)

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville meets with Tigers fan Chris Jones, 8, of Alpharetta, Tuesday in Dunwoody.

"It hasn't bothered me at all," he said. "We're the winningest team in the SEC over the last five years and have graduated 98 players the last three years. We're doing some good things. I want it over with and I think it's realistic that it'll be over in a week or so, certainly before the season.

"What I've read about it, there's nothing that would involved NCAA sanctions. That's the least of my concerns."

Tuberville said he is cooperating fully with the university's probe.

"I've given them several players to talk to, and I know they are talking to others too," he said of the committee appointed to investigate. "Unless they just have a hard time finding some people during the summer, I think it'll get done quickly.

Gundlach has said that believes the athletic department carries too much weight with the Auburn administration, yet he makes no claims that Petee gave athletes preferential treatment.

He decided earlier this week to not cooperate with the investigating committee, with the committee because he thought it lacked integrity to fully look into his claims and that he believes it leaked misleading information about Gundlach's motivation.

The committee, through university spokeswoman Deedie Dowdle, said that was not true.

"No member of the committee conveyed anything publicly that Dr. Gundlach might have said during our interview with him. The members of the committee are dedicated to pursuing answers and, above all, to protecting the integrity of their investigation. The media report that Dr. Gundlach mentions as the reason for his refusal to provide further information says only that a university administrator said that he (Gundlach) was retaliating due to being passed over as department head. We have no idea who that might have been, but it did not come from someone on the committee, whose members are highly respected."

Tuesday night in Dunwoody, it was a sociology professor-free gathering. Names like Cox and Irons replaced Petee and Gundlach as the guys most talked about — publicly anyway — at the Atlanta Auburn Club gathering.

"I think Kenny (Irons) has the chance to be one of the top five players in the country," Tuberville said. "David (Irons) is one of the best cornerbacks I've ever had. I think they'll both be first round draft choices next year."

Tuberville said true freshman receiver Tim Hawthorne had turned heads this summer and likely will have an impact this year.

"Guys like Courtney Taylor keep talking about his work ethic and how well he's doing." Tuberville said. "He'll start behind Prechae Rodriguez, but there's going to be a lot of competition there."

The crowd of roughly 400 was enthused about what they are seeing in Tuberville and Auburn.

"I've gotten to a place where looking at my university and feeling proud about what I see is more important than winning them all," said Toby Propst, a 1957 Auburn grad. "I feel good about what Coach Tuberville has done."

Added Charlie Owens:

"Everyone takes a crip course now and then. As long as Petee didn't make it easier on athletes than on the rest of them, and there was only about one in five that were athletes, there's no case. And besides, we're going to win them all this year."

[SouthLink02 8]

"It hasn't bothered me at all," he said. "We're the winningest team in the SEC over the last five years and have graduated 98 players the last three years.

[colemab 1]

"It hasn't bothered me at all," he said. "We're the winningest team in the SEC over the last five years and have graduated 98 players the last three years.

249648[/snapback]

So if you count *ALL* Of the inter-sec games and don't leave out the championship game (which btw sports 2 sec teams everytime they have it from what I've heard), what are the numbers then?

[SouthLink02 8]

Isn't that what the first graph does?

[WarTim 3,456]

Auburn has won more S E C games.

[DKW 86 7,419]

Hey, I just posted the article, by the AJC.

Regular season without SECCG we are all tied 30-10. Right?

[Lurking Tiger 62]

Perhaps he was referring to Auburn's SEC winning percentage of .756 over the last five years and comparing it to UGA and LSU's winning percentage of .744 during the same period.