FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long released a statement Saturday in an attempt to refute remarks made by Ohio State University president Gordon Gee pertaining to first-year Razorbacks football coach Bret Bielema.
Gee, who referred to Bielema as a "thug" and said the coach left Wisconsin "ahead of the sheriff" last December, apologized in an email to Bielema Friday.
“As a member of the higher education community, a director of athletics and a native of Ohio, I am deeply troubled by the unfounded and slanderous remarks the President of the state’s flagship institution, Dr. E. Gordon Gee, made about Coach Bret Bielema," Long wrote. "While I recognize Dr. Gee has issued an apology stating regret for his comments, it does not erase the unwarranted attack on Bret’s character. It is widely known Coach Bielema placed an emphasis on academics, character development and community outreach while serving at the University of Wisconsin. His 2010 and 2011 football teams won the Wisconsin Athletic Department’s community service and Champs Life Skills awards. Bret also had 131 academic all-conference selections in seven seasons and his team’s APR figures climbed each year with a most recent multiyear rate of 975 and a final single year rate of 1000.
"In his time here, Bret has demonstrated the qualities we sought when we brought him to the University of Arkansas and has supported our football student-athletes as reflected in one of our highest spring GPAs.”
Gee, whose remarks about Notre Dame and Catholics led to a public apology from himself and a strongly-worded public reprimand from university trustees, discussed Bielema's departure from fellow Big Ten school Wisconsin for Arkansas during a meeting of the school's Athletic Council in December. Audio from the meeting was obtained by The Associated Press in a records request earlier this week.
“Someone was saying to me, well, you know, Bret Bielema leaving … that was a blessing for Wisconsin and they knew it," Gee said, according to Sports Illustrated. "Because he was under tremendous pressure. They didn’t like him. Barry Alvarez thought he was a thug. And he left just ahead of the sheriff.”
Alvarez, Bielema's predecessor and athletics director at Wisconsin, denied making such statements on Friday.
"Gordon Gee called me to apologize last week regarding comments he knew would be made public," Alvarez said in a statement. "I have never said that about Bret, nor had those feeling toward him. I accepted Gordon's apology and consider the matter closed."
Bielema's departure for Arkansas was seen by many in the Big Ten as a lateral move to a middle of the pack program in the Southeastern Conference. Bielema had led the Badgers to three consecutive Big Ten championship wins prior to leaving for the Razorbacks, reaching the BCS Rose Bowl each year.
Since his hiring, Bielema has cited assistant coach pay as one of the reasons for the move. His Wisconsin staff last season made just more than $1.8 million combined, while his first staff at Arkansas stands to make close to $3.5 million.
Gee apologized to Bielema in an email Friday, which Bielema posted to his Twitter account.
"I write to apologize for my comments about you, as well as remarks I made that were entirely unfounded and speculative about your relationship with Barry Alvarez and the University of Wisconsin," Gee wrote. "My comments were unfair, inaccurate and wholly wrongheaded. To be sure, you have a remarkable record of accomplishment with student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom. I am deeply sorry for my comments and for any and all pain they have caused."
Bielema responded to Gee's apology with a statement Sunday.
“Dr. E. Gordon Gee and I have spoken regarding comments he has now labeled as unfounded, inaccurate and unfair," Bielema said. "While I am appreciative he did apologize, my sincere hope is Dr. Gee realizes given the stature of his position the full power his words have to affect public perception. Throughout my career, I have strived to make my name synonymous with high character, values and integrity, and I will continue to do so.”
In addition to pokes at Catholic leaders at Notre Dame, who Gee said were "holy on Sunday, and then they're holy hell on the rest of the week," the OSU president also questioned academic integrity of Southeastern Conference schools and the University of Louisville.
"You tell the SEC when they can learn to read and write, then they can figure out what we're doing," Gee said when asked by a questioner how to respond to SEC fans who say the Big Ten can't count because it now has 14 members.
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said Gee called to apologize for the comments about a week ago, saying they might become public. Delany called after that, also to apologize. Both apologies were accepted, Slive said.
Gee has gotten in trouble before for offhand remarks, most recently during a memorabilia-for-cash and tattoos scandal under football coach Jim Tressel's watch.
Gee was asked in March 2011 whether he had considered firing Tressel. He responded: "No, are you kidding? Let me just be very clear: I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me." Tressel stepped down three months later after allowing five players to play in the Buckeyes' Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas despite suspending them for the first part of the next season.
In November 2010, Gee boasted that Ohio State's football schedule didn't include teams on par with the "Little Sisters of the Poor." An apologetic Gee later sent a personal check to the real Little Sisters of the Poor in northwest Ohio and followed up with a visit to the nuns months later.
Last year, Gee apologized for comparing the problem of coordinating the school's many divisions to the Polish army, a remark that a Polish-American group called bigoted and ignorant.
Gee was named the country's best college president in 2010 by Time magazine, and he has one of the highest-profile resumes of any college leader in recent history. He has held the top job at West Virginia University, the University of Colorado, Brown University and Vanderbilt University. He was Ohio State president from 1990 to 1997 and returned in 2007.
Gee, 69, earns about $1.9 million annually in base pay, deferred and performance compensation and retirement benefits.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report