New Mexico Daily Lobo
URL: http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2009/10/head_coach_locked_out_of_next_game
Current Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:55:55 -0700
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Athletics Director Paul Krebs, left, and head football coach Mike Locksley arrive at the Tow Diehm Facility for a press conference Tuesday. Krebs announced that Locksley is on a 10-day suspension after the Sept. 20 physical altercation involving Locksley and wide receivers coach J.B. Gerald.
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Head coach locked out of next game
Grab the remote to that high-definition, big-screen TV and pull out the recliner, Mike Locksley.
The only college football you’ll be watching on Saturday, Oct. 24, will be from the couch.
Locksley split the lip of Jonathan “J.B.” Gerald, wide receivers coach, in an altercation on Sept. 20, according to an APD police report. Now the University is going to hit the Lobo head football coach where it hurts — with a swift kick in the pocketbook.
Thirteen days after UNM Human Resources launched an investigation into a Sept. 20 altercation between Locksley and Gerald, Athletics Director Paul Krebs announced that Locksley will be suspended for one game — UNM’s homecoming game against UNLV — after Human Resources determined UNM policies were violated. Locksley will be docked 10 days of pay, which is “in the neighborhood of $29,000,” Krebs said.
Krebs said the money will remain in the Athletics Department’s operating budget.
The suspension includes Oct. 13-16 and Oct. 19-25. Locksley is free to return to work on Oct. 25, but he can’t participate in any team-related activities until then.
George Barlow, assistant head coach and defensive backs coach, will take the helm during Locksley’s suspension.
Barlow said he will try to keep Locksley’s plans in place for the sake of continuity.
“I think we’ll get by,” Barlow said. “What we’re going to do is pretty much man-up and make sure everyone’s handling their responsibilities. We just need to focus on what’s important — and that’s the kids.”
Locksley said he’s learned some harsh lessons during the weeks since the altercation.
“I accept the punishment that the University and Paul (Krebs) has rendered on me with no bitterness,” he said. “I accept the punishment as just for my role in the incident.”
Locksley will be required to attend a conflict resolution class, per another mandate included in Tuesday’s decision. Krebs said he will persuade all coaches of the football program to do the same. He also said UNM’s head football coach should engage in community service, which Locksley said he will do.
What neither Krebs nor Locksley could account for was what exactly happened on the day in question or how Gerald ended up with a split lip.
Both said that no punch was thrown.
“There were no witnesses that verified Gerald’s allegation that Locksley threw a punch,” Krebs said. “Let me be clear about that. No witnesses verified coach Gerald’s allegation that coach Locksley threw a punch. There was an argument. They were separated. How he got bumped on the lip is speculation.”
The only clarification Locksley provided was that there was a scuffle.
“Basically, it was a heated argument,” he said. “There was some grabbing, pushing and shoving. I did not throw a punch.”
In his time away, Locksley said he will reflect on the punishment and what steps he can take to ensure it won’t happen again.
“I wouldn’t call it a vacation,” Locksley said. “Obviously, just finding recently here what the punishment is I haven’t necessarily made plans. I do feel that part of my plans will be to spend some time at a charity dear to my heart, do some community service and spend time with my family.”
Locksley’s original punishment, handed down by Krebs, was a verbal reprimand and a letter in the first-year coach’s personnel file. But the letter was never composed, because Human Resources launched a probe instead, Krebs said.
The Human Resources Department didn’t suggest disciplinary action to Krebs, it merely performed the investigation, Krebs said.
The University Business Policies and Procedure Manual’s Policy 2210, on campus violence, reads: “Violent behavior includes verbal, written, physical, electronic or non verbal threats or other behavior that would constitute a threat of violence or cause a reasonable person to be fearful.”
Per University policy, Krebs said a verbal reprimand wasn’t necessarily enough, and further action was warranted.
“It came to my attention that standard University operating procedures required that HR investigate this type of incident on campus,” Krebs said. “At my request, they conducted an investigation. They interviewed all witnesses involved in the incident. We are part of the University. It’s imperative that we follow University process.”
Now that the process has been completed, Krebs said this type of behavior can’t happen again, and Locksley would be terminated if another physical altercation occurred with any member of his staff.
“This decision is consistent with University discipline, falls within the framework of University guidelines and, I believe, serves as a strong deterrent and sends a strong message to the University community,” Krebs said.
President David Schmidly said in a statement Tuesday that he stands by Krebs’ decision and that it is time for UNM to put the matter to rest.
“I have confidence in the process, which is fair and consistent, and the manner in which it was handled by the Vice President for Athletics,” Schmidly said. “I believe it is now time to move forward for the sake of the football program and especially for the players who have continued to work hard during this difficult time.”
However, the black cloud circling over the football program hasn’t necessarily receded. It’s still unknown whether Gerald will return — and evidence indicates he’s more likely to resign.
Krebs confirmed Sunday that Gerald turned in his University-issued cell phone and keys on Friday. He reiterated Tuesday that the assistant coach is still on paid administrative leave.
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58 comments
Post American
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The Lobo’s might actually win a game!
Really
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What a joke! Any other employee at UNM would have been fired. The message is clear now to anyone that works at the university, you know what a good punch is going to cost you so make it count.
mike
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Yet another reason that UNM is looked at as one of the biggest jokes in the country… Way to go admins. Way to make yourselves look spineless. Way to show off your crony isms. Its truly pathetic.
AJR
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Yes, the Lobos have a chance of beating a weak UNLV team in the coach’s absence. Past that, the outlook for the remainder of the season looks pretty grim.
Leonard
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As if it wasn’t ever grim to begin with, AJR?
Staffer II
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UNM is a disgrace to New Mexico, which is saying a lot, considering…
And next week, after the state imposes “mid-year budget recisions” on us, Locksley will still have his salary (minus the $30 grand-ish he’ll lose those 10 days), but the staff will go yet another year without a raise when cost of living goes up, students might see an increase in tuition and/or fees with no return on their investment.
Read more …
But, as with every other horrid thing that happens around here, students won’t do a dam’n thing and the staff is too scared to lose their jobs to step up and speak out.
mca
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UNM Mgt= Cronyism= Unqualified= Black Check in actions, salary,…
slowhike
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Locksley was a bad hire. Good move to suspend him though, they’ll have to treat him with “kid gloves” as they say.
just another staffer
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Well, it’s been a fun diversion from our economic troubles. We’ve had somebody to laugh at besides President Schmidly. And the good news is, Coach Locksley provides us hope of many screwups to come. A loose cannon can’t keep himself in check for the remainder of his first year. Meanwhile, fellow staffers, don’t assume you can behave outrageously and get off so easily. As Sylvia Lopez can testify, we must remember our place as cogs in a wheel mired in shallow priorities.
Post American
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Paul Krebs is a total FN disgrace! Go to the second floor Football office in the Tow Diem Facility, and check out the hot office girls! I hear it is great for recruiting! regards
Hannah B
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Students, staff and faculty continue to call for accountability for an administration that
Condones a violent coach,
Condones a photo-porn faculty member
Feels paying Vicente Fox 25K to speak about ‘immigration’ is good public relations
Allows the use of Lobo Louie on Casino billboards.
Schmidly runs the university to benefit the few at the expense of many. It’s disgusting.
Hannah B
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Once again we are a national laughingstock.
Way to go, UNM Admin!
robert
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OMG! $2900 a day. It just gets better and better around here. Let’s see where the next academic budget cuts fall so that we can continue with this kind of insanity in a supposed institution of higher learning.
Dave
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Makes me wonder, considering the effect of big money in sports (or anything else) – why must all our top sports be professional?
Rugby football offers a case in point. Rugby purposefully resisted profesionalism until 1995, fearing systemic corruption. Since then, the ethics of the game have gradually eroded, to the point of a recent scandal in a top level playoff match involving a faked injury to allow an illegal tactical substitution. Does money make everything better?
jazz hands
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UNM is the S**THOLE college of the SW. It’s where lousy administrators and coaches go to get paid to die. Their policies and actions damage this university’s reputation and make us a laughing stock. And their excuses and BS cover-ups are insulting to staff and faculty and should be to students as well.
UNM IS NOW HIRING: Attention college administrators and coaches! Are you about to get run out of town at your current university? Do you regularly use poor judgment when making decisions that affect programs or an entire university? Are you looking for a position that has a fabulous golden parachute package? Are you willing to “bend the rules”, perpetuate cover-ups and hire uneducated cousins of powerful locals?
Read more …
Then have we got a job for you!!! We are currently seeking coaches and administrators to play all of these roles, and we’ll pay you TONS of money! Yes, most of our staff and faculty make salaries well under national equivalents but if you have no soul and are able to lie through your teeth, you’ll fit right in! And as a bonus, if you suck at your job, we’ll pay you handsomely to leave! Preferred qualifications include: a short temper, a strong right hook and complete lack of integrity. So don’t wait, apply today!
AJR
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I felt shame and disgrace last night watching the game between Ark. St and ULM on ESPN, as the 8-day suspension news rolled by on the banner every five minutes.
The part that bothers me the most is that Gerald, after being assaulted, is now without a job and has ended up on the shit end of the stick. What lessons can we learn from this?
J
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You’re all idiots. I bet most of the people posting on here don’t even go to football games. You just hear about this stuff and find somewhere to complain. My family has over 180 combined years of Lobo Football season tickets and we support Mike Locksley.He’s going to do great things here and then all of you calling for his head are going to look like morons.
jazz hands
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Dear J
If my family WASTED the equivalent of “180 combined years” on Lobo season football tickets, I’d be supporting the coach too. “180 combined years”??? Was the money math too hard for you to do?
A
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J, I don’t think you really understand. The issue isn’t about whether or not Locksley could bring about a better football record, although we could certainly debate that all day. The issue is that some people at this University can behave any way they choose, and collect an obscene salary in the process. All this while departments are facing more cuts and the staff members that keep this University running are facing the loss of their jobs. And let me assure you, most of those staff members who are really suffering right now have never had a ‘physical altercation’ with any of their coworkers.
just another staffer
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Now, J, it isn’t appropriate to call people who express concern regarding UNM’s inconsistency in applying rules “idiots.” We may (or may not) love sports. We may (or may not) understand that implementation of a new spread offense will click when it will click but perhaps not this season. I do not feel in the least bit like a “moron” for saying that Coach Locksley, winning coach or what-he-is-right-now, should be subject to the same rules as other staff people. In almost none of the postings about the coach have there been demands to fire him for being 0-6. A person can be a loser without us looking at his lack of success as a coach. If he were a nice guy, I’d give him the full five years of his contract. By the way, J, you need some anger management meetings.
another staffer
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And UNM administrators wonder why the staff (and faculty, and students) have ZERO confidence in them. You know what, screw this, let’s strike. Let’s shut this place down. Guess what UNM staff – the state legislature is about to screw us again by balancing the budget on our backs – forcing furloughs or pay cuts on us; so why not give them what they want now?
MM
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I’m less upset about Locksley’s punishment than I am about his pay. I’m a UNM alumn who has a great job at UNM. I’m experienced and work hard at what I do. But I only make $30,000 a year, which is just slightly more than the amount of money that Locksley will lose from being suspended for 10 days. What a disgrace!
Really
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Unfortunately I think J might be attending the same anger management meetings as coach.
Do Something
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You can post commenst til your fingers turn blue, but until you actually DO something, nothing will ever change. Do you really think the admin reads this shit? NO
They might listen if, say, someone organized a protest rally at Scholes Hall. But students don’t care, at least not the way the students of the 1960’s cared. Staff is too afraid to lose their jobs or be involuntarily furloughed.
This place is a growing disaster.
deddy d
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Its pretty obvious that hes trying to get himself fired so he can take the money and run. If he quits he wont get his loot. Hes probably already looking for another job …..loser
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