• The KillerFrogs

TCU - NCAA Sanctions 1986

TemCatFrog71

Active Member
Interesting side story to the payoff system in the SWC. I was coaching high school football in 1982 when Jim Wacker was hired by TCU. Shortly after his hiring, our staff had a visit from "Pup" Willingham, the Oline coach at U of H. He had come to town to look at film of players in the area, including our school. After he had spent some time looking at film and talking to us about those kids he liked, we got into just some casual conversation about the league and the future of Houston and TCU specifically. I asked him what he thought of the hiring of Jim Wacker by TCU. He laughed and said .." do you know what that stupid son of a bi***" did his first week in Fort Worth. He sent every head coach in the conference a letter urging all the teams that were cheating to clean it up. Hell, he didn't even know that TCU's program was just as dirty as everyone else." I asked him how he knew TCU was dirty and he responded with " I know how much we offered Keneth Davis and he turned us down," At that point I became a believer that everyone in the league was dirty from top to bottom.Well maybe not Rice!!
 

Hoosierfrog

Tier 1
Interesting side story to the payoff system in the SWC. I was coaching high school football in 1982 when Jim Wacker was hired by TCU. Shortly after his hiring, our staff had a visit from "Pup" Willingham, the Oline coach at U of H. He had come to town to look at film of players in the area, including our school. After he had spent some time looking at film and talking to us about those kids he liked, we got into just some casual conversation about the league and the future of Houston and TCU specifically. I asked him what he thought of the hiring of Jim Wacker by TCU. He laughed and said .." do you know what that stupid son of a bi***" did his first week in Fort Worth. He sent every head coach in the conference a letter urging all the teams that were cheating to clean it up. Hell, he didn't even know that TCU's program was just as dirty as everyone else." I asked him how he knew TCU was dirty and he responded with " I know how much we offered Keneth Davis and he turned us down," At that point I became a believer that everyone in the league was dirty from top to bottom.Well maybe not Rice!!

I remember the letter. Akers at UT and Gomer Slocum told Walker to mind his own business and grow up. The difference with UH and some (all) of the other’s is that their coaches were all in and Wacker was trying to clean up, not knowing Lowe, Farkas et al were trying to play catch up. The term Pollyanna was used quite a bit when referring to Wacker. He was a tad naive to say the least.
 

Limp Lizard

Full Member
I remember that day like yesterday. Was doing laundry in the Milton Hilton when it went down.
My clock radio woke me up that Thursday morning and the first thing I heard was Norm Hitzges saying "Just when you thought it was safe to root for TCU..." followed by the news which focused on our All-American Davis. My heart fell down into my toes, despite the fact I was lying down.

And the worse was to come. Full disclosure to the NCAA, which they never could have found out, using TCU cars to take the "investigators" to all the appropriate people. And we were rewarded with the second toughest penalties ever, second only to SMU. Wacker said he was naive not in that he didn't know cheating was going on in the SWC, but in believing the NCAA really wanted to do something about it.

Then a few years later while a$m was under major probation and were caught red-handed still cheating big-time, Sherrill resigns and Berst says "case closed." Hansen was furious: He said he would never trust the NCAA again. Still wonder how much Berst was paid...or who in his family were allowed to live, whatever. Then afterwards Berst slams Houston with penalties for violations under a previous coach, so the coach leaving was not the real reason he let aggy go.
 

Rabidfrog

Active Member
I know this will piss off feminists, but I was proud they used prostitutes and not coeds. That moral stance alone should have cut the penalties in half.
 

westoverhillbilly

Active Member
I asked him how he knew TCU was dirty and he responded with " I know how much we offered Keneth Davis and he turned us down," At that point I became a believer that everyone in the league was dirty from top to bottom.Well maybe not Rice!!

An employee of ours' daughter was a friend of Kenneth Davis (she dated him if I recall correctly).. The employee told us that Nebraska offered KDmore than TCU, but he took a little less in order to stay closer to home.. A sad anecdote to the story is that KD's brother died in an auto accident in the car that was purchased for him..
 

Limp Lizard

Full Member
Interesting side story to the payoff system in the SWC. I was coaching high school football in 1982 when Jim Wacker was hired by TCU. Shortly after his hiring, our staff had a visit from "Pup" Willingham, the Oline coach at U of H. He had come to town to look at film of players in the area, including our school. After he had spent some time looking at film and talking to us about those kids he liked, we got into just some casual conversation about the league and the future of Houston and TCU specifically. I asked him what he thought of the hiring of Jim Wacker by TCU. He laughed and said .." do you know what that stupid son of a bi***" did his first week in Fort Worth. He sent every head coach in the conference a letter urging all the teams that were cheating to clean it up. Hell, he didn't even know that TCU's program was just as dirty as everyone else." I asked him how he knew TCU was dirty and he responded with " I know how much we offered Keneth Davis and he turned us down," At that point I became a believer that everyone in the league was dirty from top to bottom.Well maybe not Rice!!

Wacker by far caught the most flack from Sherrill and Teaff. By far. Wacker got along with the other coaches OK. Teaff really disliked him, and Sherrill hated, hated, hated him. Sometimes you know who someone is by their enemies. Sherrill was was a Mafia boss to SMU's street thugs, and Teaff's holier-than-thou act was just that, an act. Wacker was what you saw, which was irritating for some, a threat to others (If he will turn in his own players what will he do if he get proof on us?)

Of course my aggy relatives gave me grief about Wacker while worshiping the ground Sherrill worked on. By the way, Sherrill has remained a revered part of aggy athletic support functions, showing up at all the big ones so aggys can kiss his ring.
 

Leap Frog

Full Member
Another thing I remember (kinda like Dan Lambs') was what OU coach Barry Switzer said about TCU recruiting:
"I know what we offered Egypt Allen and Gearld Taylor, and that little school outbid us".
"Something very funny going on in Fort Worth, and it should be looked into".:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
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BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
Another thing I remember (kinda like Dan Lambs') was what OU coach Barry Switzer said about TCU recruiting:
"I know what we offered Egypt Allen and Gearld Taylor, and that little school outbid us".
"Something very funny going on in Fort Worth, and it should be looked into".:rolleyes::rolleyes:
As Jamelle Holiway strode the OU sidelines in a full-length mink coat...
 
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