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Sam Ukwuachu’s HS coach backs up what Art Briles knew about player’s past

Graham Watson
FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2014, file photo, Baylor coach Art Briles walks the sideline during his team's NCAA college football game against Buffalo in Amherst, N.Y. Baylor University will conduct an investigation into the school's handling of sexual assault allegations against a football player who was allowed to transfer into Briles' program despite a history of disciplinary problems at Boise State. Following the conviction of defensive end Sam Ukwuachu on sexual assault charges, Baylor President Ken Starr on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015, called for a "comprehensive internal inquiry into the circumstances associated with the case and the conduct of the offices involved." (AP Photo/Bill Wippert, File)

Pearland High School coach Tony Heath told ESPN 1660 AM out of Central Texas that he “was told by the Boise State coaching staff and also shared that same information with Baylor’s assistant coaches” regarding Sam Ukwuachu’s dismissal from Boise State.

In a Sunday interview, Heath, Ukwuachu’s high school coach, went on to tell host David Smoak that Boise State was concerned with Ukwuachu's depression and violence against himself.

“I was told the staff was very concerned about Sam being depressed and violent towards himself and their worries were for him, never once did they ever tell me he had struck or hit a female or had a violent encounter with anyone,” Heath said. “I spoke with Chris Petersen during Sam’s redshirt freshman year about his depression and insubordination, but I haven’t spoken with Coach Petersen since. The communication I heard after Sam’s release was with the Boise State assistant coaches.”

Heath, who said his son is good friends with Ukwuachu, said he knew nothing about Ukwuachu’s domestic violence issues and was never informed about them from Boise State.

“Never, I was told the same story in Coach Briles’ statement,” Heath said when asked if he knew about Ukwuachu's violaent past. “And, in fact, I didn’t have any idea about Sam’s domestic violence with his girlfriend until this past Thursday. I would like to add, if I would’ve known Sam Ukwuachu or any of our players had any domestic violence in his past, here at Pearland or anywhere, I wouldn’t hide it and I would tell any coach who asked, to investigate him.”

Heath also noted that he’s known Briles since Briles was a high school coach at Stephenville, Texas.

“I don’t care who is questioning Art Briles,” Heath said. “I have another player, Kendall Erlich at Baylor, Coach (Briles) is a man of great integrity and I trust my players in his program.”

Despite Heath’s comments, there still is no clarity in this situation. Just because some assistant coaches at Boise State didn’t tell Heath that Ukwuachu had a domestic abuse issue doesn’t mean Chris Petersen didn’t tell Briles that the player did. Boise State might have determined that Heath shouldn’t be privy to that information.

Or maybe that’s all there is to the story. Perhaps Chris Petersen never knew Ukwuachu was a domestic abuser. We really don’t know.

The issues of “who knew what when” is known by two men — Chris Petersen and Art Briles. And because it’s a he said-he said situation, there might never be any clarity on how much anyone knew.

The only fact we do know is that Ukwuachu habitually abused his girlfriend at Boise and raped a girl at Baylor. Quite honestly, one might argue that both programs are complicit in Ukwuachu’s behavior because very little was done to either help him or the victims, who also were student-athletes.

For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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