Saturday Tommy Tuberville and his Texas Tech Red Raiders were having a rough go of it against Kansas.
As we reported Tuberville was not pleased about the Tech’s offensive formation, had a few words with graduate assistant Kevin Oliver, and amid his boil of frustration, either smacked Oliver, or smacked his headset and hat off the young man’s head.
Today Yahoo Sports is reporting Tuberville apologized to Oliver for losing his cool, and overreacting on the sideline.
Tuberville was also very adamant that he did not slap Oliver.
“You don’t do things like that.”
“In the heat of the battle some things happen sometimes that you’d like to take back. I can’t ever remember anything like that happening. But, uh, that’s a tough game, you’re fighting hard. I’ve apologized to Kevin. We’ve talked. Of course, we talked 30 seconds after that. I talk to him more on the headset than I do anybody else cause he helps me chart special teams.
“It’s unfortunate that that happened. I’ve got kids of my own. I’ve got 100 kids on the sideline and coaches, I’ve got to hold myself to a higher regard…and usually do.
“But I will say this. Some have reported that I slapped or hit him, you’re dead wrong. I did not do that. Little bit disappointed that most of you know me, I think you know me a lot better than that. I can understand someone in LA, California doing it, and making some kind of statement like that by watching the film. Never thought about it, in 35 years, never dreamed of hitting anybody, never have. And so…we’ll just leave it at that.”
It appears from the video we’ve provided that Tuberville became upset about Tech having a 12th man on the field, and the offense being totally out of sync.
Many of the reactions we received after reporting the slap were in regard to Tuberville not slapping him, but slapping his headset off.
Apples and oranges in my opinion.
That was pure disrespect, and had it not been for Oliver’s coaching future flashing before his eyes, who knows how Oliver might have reacted.
Kudos to Tuberville for offering an apology, but he’s been around long enough and should know better.
My question is between Tuberville, Gillispie, and Mike Leach, what the hell is in the water in Lubbock.
