Longtime Sooners baseball coach resigns By Andy Gardiner, USA TODAY
Oklahoma baseball coach Larry Cochell resigned Sunday after reports surfaced of alleged racial remarks he made during an off-camera TV interview, likely ending his 39-year career.
Cochell used the slur after praising African-American freshman outfielder Joe Dunigan before Tuesday's game against Wichita State, which was carried on ESPN2 and ESPNU. Later, in an interview with color commentator Kyle Peterson, Cochell also said, "Dunigan is a good black kid."
Oklahoma President David Boren had met with athletics director Joe Castiglione and campus minority leaders Sunday and also spoke with Dunigan's parents.
Cochell is the fifth-winningest baseball coach in Division I history with more than 1,300 victories, including a national title.
The longtime coach submitted a letter of resignation to President David Boren, who had met hours before with athletics director Joe Castiglione and members of the university's African-American community on the matter.
Boren accepted the letter and said Castiglione has designated Sunny Golloway as interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Cochell had issued an apology and repeated the sentiment in his resignation letter Sunday.
"As I have said in a public statement, I deeply regret that I carelessly used language that is clearly contrary to the basic values of our university. Those words also created an impression contrary to my own personal values and my respect for all people," the letter released by the university read.
"This is a university which celebrates diversity as a source of strength. ... The word that was used has a long and painful history in our nation and deserves unqualified condemnation," Boren said Sunday before Cochell resigned.
Dunigan, African-American teammate Chuckie Caufield and former African-American players at Oklahoma had decried Cochell's comments but said they were out of character.
Cochell, a native of Lebanon, Ore., who played at Arizona State, led the Sooners to the College World Series title in 1994.
I can't believe he rolled over for the race baiters.