College football: SEC cracks down on critical coaches

SEC cracks down on critical coaches

NEW YORK -- Publicly griping about officials in the Southeastern Conference just got a lot more costly for Lane Kiffin and the rest of the league's coaches.

After three SEC coaches in two weeks, including Tennessee's Kiffin, received reprimands for ripping officials, the conference has decided that future punishment for similar antics will be fines and suspensions.

A memorandum was sent by the league office yesterday to every school making them aware of the change, which is effective immediately.

Commissioner Mike Slive, in his eighth season with the conference, was given full discretion by the league's athletic directors and presidents to hand out the punishment. He will determine the amount of fines and lengths of suspensions on a case-by-case basis.

"On rare occasions over the last seven years there were several private reprimands and that took care of the matter," Slive told the AP in a telephone interview. "On occasion there were public reprimands and that took care of it. It became clear to me after last week that I was no longer interested in reprimands.

"We will go right to suspensions and fines."

Ferentz ignores computers' opinions

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz doesn't have a Facebook page or any interest in tweeting.

How ironic, then, that the best friend his seventh-ranked Hawkeyes have these days is a computer.

Iowa's perfect start has been rather ugly. Skeptics have noticed. The Hawkeyes (4-0 Big Ten, 8-0) rank lowest among unbeaten teams from BCS-affiliated conferences heading into today's game with Indiana (1-3, 4-4).

The computer rankings used by the BCS, however, absolutely adore Iowa. Five of the six mathematical formulas used by the BCS say the Hawkeyes are the top team in America.

Ferentz is unimpressed.

"Computers have not seen us play. If they had eyes and could see us play, they would say, 'Are you kidding me?'" Ferentz said.

Documents say coach swung at assistant

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Notes released by the University of New Mexico late yesterday confirmed football coach Mike Locksley took a swing at receivers coach J.B. Gerald, an apparent contradiction of what the school has said publicly about the altercation.

However, a top administrator reaffirmed the school's conclusion after an internal investigation that no witnesses could corroborate Gerald's claims that he was struck.

Gerald claims Locksley hit him, splitting his lip.

Locksley maintains he did not throw a punch. A New Mexico athletic department spokesman said Locksley was with the Lobos at San Diego State and wasn't available for comment.

The university also released photographs of Gerald's injuries, including pictures showing his lip, a bruise on his neck and a cut on his arm. -- From Wire Reports