It has not been a banner few months for the SEC, a conference that prefers, believe it or not, to not have an “anything goes” reputation. Take it from someone who has covered this league for a long time: This is not a conference of knuckle-dragging troglodytes.
And yet:
Chris Beard was arrested early in the morning of Dec. 15 in Austin, Texas, when police officers spoke to Randi Trew, Beard’s fiancee, who alleged she had been assaulted and strangled by Beard. The woman would later recant and say she was the instigator of the incident, but that wasn’t enough to save Beard’s job as Texas men’s basketball head coach. He was fired with cause.
Beard was hired as Ole Miss’ men’s basketball coach on Monday.
Hugh Freeze, the head coach of Liberty football last summer, sent an unprompted direct message to a former Liberty student who was a plaintiff in a Title IX suit against the school. Freeze defended his then-athletic director, Ian McCaw, who had been fired amid Baylor’s scandal over rampant sexual assaults; Freeze himself had been fired from Ole Miss five years before amid NCAA violations and after the number for an escort service was found on university phone records.
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He was hired as Auburn’s football coach in November.
Brandon Miller, according to police in Tuscaloosa, Ala., brought a gun to an Alabama basketball teammate on the night of Jan. 15, and it was subsequently used in a murder. Nate Oats, his coach at Alabama, said Miller was merely in the “wrong place at the wrong time,” comments he later regretted, though neither Oats nor the school have suspended Miller.
Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, unimpeded in its quest for a national championship.
Morals and decency do exist in the SEC. Those who decry otherwise are usually doing so out of envy or agenda. The problem is that these events and hires feed that agenda.
It just means more. It just means too much.
This is what SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in December when he was asked about Auburn hiring Freeze:
“I look from this point forward; we’re informed by people’s pasts,” Sankey said. “Hugh and I actually had an individual phone call earlier today, very positive. That’s not the first phone call he and I’ve had in the last five years. I appreciated the way he responded during his press conference, and I respect the fact that he and I, over the succeeding years since his departure from Ole Miss, could have candid and honest conversation. … There’s a lot of work to do, and he kind of brought me up to speed on some of that this morning. I’m confident there’s been plenty of opportunities for learning over the years and look forward to working with Hugh again.”
It’s not clear how much power Sankey, if he wanted to, has to actually veto coaching hires or intercede on issues like what’s happening at Alabama. He presides over 14 (soon to be 16) separate institutions that have their own right to vet and decide who to hire and fire.
When asked for comment, an SEC spokesperson told The Athletic, “Personnel decisions are made by conference member institutions. SEC bylaws require institutions to consult with the Conference Office for the purpose of reviewing the NCAA rules compliance record of any coaching candidates. Ole Miss fulfilled its obligation to review the NCAA rules compliance history of Chris Beard prior to the announcement of his hiring.”
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This is a collective issue. Presidents and athletic directors at multiple schools are signing off on these hires, permitting these situations to play out, feeding a perception that they put winning above all else.
Not every personnel issue is the same. Bobby Petrino, fired by Arkansas after that infamous motorcycle accident, is back in the league as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator, but that’s after long stints in other conferences. But the Texas A&M Aggies also employ D.J. Durkin, fired from Maryland after the investigation into the death of Jordan McNair; Durkin served a short stint in the NFL and was then hired by Ole Miss.
And not every team issue is the same. Alabama’s handling of the Miller situation has been clumsy at best. In the aftermath of the crash that killed two in its program, Georgia officials, including president Jere Morehead and head coach Kirby Smart, have essentially stated that there isn’t much to handle, and that point seems acceptable — though Smart needs to send a clear message about street racing.
Situations are different – and complicated. Miller has not been charged with a crime, and Alabama immediately dismissed his teammate Darius Miles when he was arrested and charged with capital murder. Has Alabama done all its due diligence in not even having Miller miss a game?
The charges against Beard, originally a third-degree felony, were dropped by the Travis County District Attorney’s office. But was three months enough time for Beard’s history to be fully vetted by Ole Miss? Did the Rebels absolutely have to hire him?
NEW: Travis County District Attorney's office dismissed the case against former UT Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Beard…Beard was arrested on felony family violence charges in December and fired by UT in January pic.twitter.com/BricijMcC6
— Jonathan Thomas (@JonThomasTV) February 15, 2023
And did Auburn look at Freeze direct messaging that woman and not think that was a red flag about his level of personal development?
On the actual playing courts and fields, the SEC is in a great state. Eight of its teams made the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, fulfilling a longtime effort by Sankey to make the league stronger in that sport. Another one of its schools, South Carolina, is the top seed in the NCAA women’s tournament. Georgia is the two-time defending national champion in football.
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The conference is blessed with great resources, passionate fan bases, and yes, good coaches and administrators. There are ample examples of people in the league who do it the right way — or at least don’t color outside the lines — and win lots of games. Collectively, this is not a league that needs to be cutting corners or looking the other way in order to win.
And yet individual schools appear to be doing just that.
(Top photo of Greg Sankey and Brandon Miller: Andy Lyons / Getty)
