FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson said Monday that he has earned the right to have a season considered subpar by Razorback standards. Richardson said after a loss to then-No. 12 Kentucky on Saturday that, if Arkansas would buy out his contract, "they can take the job tomorrow." Arkansas is 13-13, 5-9 in the Southeastern Conference. This year's results are atypical for Richardson, who has taken the Razorbacks to the NCAA 14 of the last 15 years and to a postseason tournament for 16 years straight. "I've earned the right to have the season I've had," Richardson said at a news conference looking ahead to Wednesday's game at Mississippi State. Arkansas Chancellor John White said Sunday that he believed Richardson's comments about having his seven-year contract bought out was due only to the coach's competitiveness. He said he expected Nolan to complete his contract. Richardson opened his news conference Monday by asking an aide to read a note from the family of a recruit praising the coach. Richardson then said the reason good players come to Arkansas is because he is coach. "The No. 1 thing that's talked in our deal is that the greatest thing going for the University of Arkansas is Nolan Richardson. Secondly, all the key football players talk to Nolan Richardson. Why?" Richardson asked rhetorically. The coach lashed out at criticism and said he would make himself less available. "My practices will be closed to the media from this day until I decide when I'll open it again, if I ever open it again while I am still the basketball coach here," he said. Richardson said he is eager for athletics director Frank Broyles and top university officials to know his stand. "But I will not answer to the media, I will not answer to the fans or anybody else. No talk show hosts, no anybody can do anything to me." The coach went on, saying reporters should not try to reach him on their own. "Do not call me ever on my phone, none of you, at my home ever again. Those lines are no longer for communications with me," Richardson said. Short of winning the Southeastern Conference tournament, Arkansas likely must defeat Mississippi State on the road and Vanderbilt at home -- then advance well into the SEC tournament to have any shot at an NCAA berth. The Razorbacks lost to LSU twice, but do have victories over No. 6 Alabama and No. 8 Florida. Arkansas defeated Mississippi State 75-64 last month when the Bulldogs were ranked No. 22. "We were fortunate to do a good job against them the last time," Richardson said. "Once again, if we can put it in the hole, we have a chance. "I've never guaranteed a victory in my life, but I always think we can win. That's how I feel," Richardson said. "I think we can win out and I think we can win the tournament. That's just how I am." ___________________________________ Further, he complained of second class treatment at the University of Arkansas. He commented that his great-grandfather , not he, came over on the boat and indicated that he expected better treatment. He was very much in control all this time but very determined.
I don't know much about the situation there where he coaches, but I hate it when people get criticized for a having a down season, and then decide to pull the race card. Boo hoo, you only criticize me because I am black. Give it up, Nolan, every other coach that has a down season gets criticized, whether they are white, black or green. Also, all the 3rd person references are annoying.
Damn. I just saw this myself, came here and saw this thread. Was there more to it than the article/tv sound bites state or is this guy just pissed for catching hell about the Razorback's season? And what is up with the slavery comment? Jeebus, THAT wasn't overreacting or anything.... x34
I remember sitting in the middle of the Arkansas section during a Baylor-Arkansas game in the 1988 SWC conference. This was the same week that Richardson had a huge story about his life in SI, how he's had to deal with horrible racism his entire life and the death of his daughter, etc. I remember hearing racial slurs yelled in his direction as Baylor was beating him. "Stupid n***** coach", "We don't need that porch monkey coaching our team", "We'd be beating this team if it wasn't for that n*****", etc. It almost made me and my sister root for Arkansas that night, just so that stupid n***** coach could rub it in the face of his own fans. I doubt it's gotten any better.
Richardson may get bought out: http://www.sportsterminal.com/sports/news.asp?news_id=23160&back_url=/
THANK YOU RM95!!!!! Some of these people who think Richardson overreacted don't know the **** he has to put up with especially from his own fan base! He's a black coach at the largest university in, what I would call, one of the most racist states in America and I know from experience...I live in this hell hole. He wasn't playing a "race card" when your own fans yell out deragatory comments about you because you have one off-year and you've done more for the program than any coach in it's history including a national title and post-season berths almost every year...well hell I'd blow up too. You're right RM95, it hasn't gotten anybody better, people who hate to see UA lose yell the same things and there are folks who politely don't yell but keep their comments to a whisper and then I'm sure there are even more people who feel the same way yet don't say anything. So I would like to finally say to Raven Lunatic, x34, and whoever else thinks Richardson overreacted...take a nice little trip to Fayetteville, buy some tickets to a Razorback game, sit and calmly listen to what you hear if the Hogs fall behind early then once you listen take that and multiply it by 1,000 because he has had to deal with that all season from the fans, local press, etc. and any season UA doesn't finish near the top of the SEC in basketball he has to deal with the same thing.
It continues to amaze me why the southern schools are kept being portrayed as racist. If the south is so racist, why are there black coaches at Arkansas, Ole Miss and Kentucky?
Obviously you haven't read any of the news statements. He has stated that he enjoys coaching at UA. If you enjoy something enough you learn to put up with the negative things about it and I am sure that's what he did until now but the negatives just got to be too much. Like I said I don't blame him for blowing up, especially when you have folks like the ones mentioned in the crowd and press.
I don't think anybody in this thread or the media has mentioned anything about a southern college as being racist. I said that the fans and the press were and if you don't believe me take the little trip I mentioned in a previous post on this thread. I did say that Arkansas is a very racist state, I can name at least 25 cities with nice sized populations in Arkansas where you are shunned if you are un-white and un-wealthy and I can name many, many more towns that are the same way. Southern colleges may not be racist but the fact remains that many inhabitants of southern states are and that is who I said was coming down on Nolan, the fans and press in the state not the college.
Were the criticisms at Nolan Richardson in the articles he referenced made because of race? Nope. Arkansas fans have always attacked their own coaches with suprising vitriol - they did it to Eddie Sutton, they did it to Hatfield(Arkansas football hero, won 10 games regularly - he got run off for losing to Texas). Nolan shouldn't be suprised. Besides, the comments he were addressing in his comment had nothing to do with his race. I do not deny Nolan has put up with racism, and some incredibly nasty things(bomb threats, his horse was shot last year) - but what he was addressing in that news conference had nothing to do with his race, and everything to do with a frustrated coach lashing out. He has put up with a lot of **** at Arkansas, when he could've gotten a job pretty much anywhere else, so good for him. He's still an ******* though.
I read them. Those kinds of responses are just pat statements not heartfelt ones. There are other black coaches in the SEC who are not so embroiled with their fans. Maybe Arkansas is that backwards. Afterall, they did send us Clinton! Here's an update: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1276691
Where to next? He needs to go to one of those Philly schools. If they can take John Chaney, they can take Nolan Richardson!
So you say, then you hear that one of the top targets for the Razorbacks is coach Kelvin Sampson. I imagine he'll find a job pretty easily, at a big name school for a comfortable salary.
