Former USC coach responds to NCAA violations

In his first public comments since the NCAA put USC's football program on a three-year probation, former Gamecocks coach Lou Holtz said he and his staff "tried to operate not only according to the letter of the law but the spirit of the law as well."

The NCAA Infractions Committee agreed with USC's self-imposed sanctions, although it extended probation for a third year. The penalties, which include cuts in the number of scholarships as well as the number of visits allowed by prospective football players, were the result of 10 rules violations uncovered by the NCAA.

Holtz released to The Associated Press a statement in response to the NCAA's announcement.

"Let's examine what the three-year investigation and thousands of dollars spent by the NCAA did reveal," Holtz said in the statement. "There was no money involved. No athletes were paid. There were no recruiting inducements. No cars. No jobs offered."

Five major violations were discovered, and four of them involved the academic office, Holtz said.

"I did not have any control over the academic office," Holtz said in the statement. "I didn't hire them. They didn't report to me. They didn't consult me concerning their actions, nor did I ever ask them to intercede on behalf of an athlete."

The other major violation, Holtz said in the statement, occurred when the team's strength coach conducted summer workouts that five players believed were mandatory rather than voluntary. Mandatory summer workouts are against NCAA rules.

Holtz said in the statement that he told his strength coach to "make sure our athletes reported to fall camp in condition," citing the risks of heat-related health problems.

"This unfortunate incident happened, and since it has happened, the blame does not go anywhere except to the head coach," Holtz said.

Holtz said in the statement that in hindsight he should have dismissed the players from the team and taken their scholarships away.

"Is this how the NCAA thinks you should handle the situation?" Holtz said. "This rule should be changed because the coach is in a no-win situation."

Holtz retired last year after coaching for six seasons at USC and now is an analyst for ESPN. Steve Spurrier was hired as his replacement last November.

The remaining four violations that Holtz in the statement said "concerned our football program" were considered secondary by the NCAA. All were self-reported, Holtz said, although he amended that statement Thursday, telling The Associated Press that one of the violations was not self-reported.

"The three years' probation without any restrictions says volumes," Holtz said in the statement. "USC will still appear on TV. It will still be eligible to go to bowl games.

"We tried to operate not only according to the letter of the law but the spirit of the law as well."

Under the self-imposed penalties with which the NCAA agreed, USC will reduce the number of football scholarships from 25 to 23 in 2006 and 2007 and the number of official visits from 56 to 50 the next two years.

USC had proposed a two-year probation; the NCAA increased that to three Wednesday.