LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky football coach Hal Mumme resigned
Tuesday following months of investigation into possible NCAA violations.
Mumme was replaced by Guy Morriss, an assistant coach at Kentucky with more than 15 years of NFL playing and coaching experience. Morriss was given a one-year contract, athletics director Larry Ivy said at a news conference.
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Tom Lemming's Take
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ESPN.com recruiting analyst Tom Lemming breaks down how the departure of Hal Mumme will affect Kentucky's recruiting class with signing day less than 24 hours away:
"Hal Mumme's departure this close to signing day won't have any effect on UK's
current class, because most of the top players who had been considering
Kentucky -- such as WR Montrell Jones, LB Joe Dipre and OL Marcus Green -- had already taken the Wildcats off their list.
"The committed players they have now weren't heavily recruited. Their current class was going to rank at the bottom of the SEC anyway due to all the defections. Mumme brought an exciting brand of football to the conference, so it may be better if the new coach has a similarly wide-open offensive philosophy, because their roster is filled with players whose skills fit that philosophy."
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"I met with coach Hal Mumme this afternoon and officially
accepted his resignation as head football coach," Ivy said.
The move came the day before high school players are allowed to
sign letters-of-intent with college programs.
"There are two things that are of utmost importance to me," Ivy said. "Number one is the welfare of our current student-athletes. We've spoken with them on a couple of occasions.
"I was equally concerned about potential student-athletes that had committed to us. I did not want to wait until after signing day and then have the decision made, putting them in a position where they felt like they didn't have a choice."
Mumme had four years remaining on a contract that paid him
$800,000 per year. Ivy said the school did not buy out the contract
but would negotiate some kind of severance package with Mumme.
Mumme was 20-26 in four seasons with the Wildcats. He has made no public comment since the school began an internal investigation in November regarding recruiting.
Mumme is expected to issue a statement on Wednesday.
"While not admitting to any NCAA violations, he felt that the problems we had encountered with our football program were under his watch, and he felt like he should shoulder the responsibility for those problems," Ivy said.
Former assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Claude Bassett in January admitted sending $1,400 in money orders to a Memphis, Tenn., high school football coach and improperly cashing a $500 check donated by a booster to help fund Mumme's summer football camp.
Ivy told the school's board of trustees last month that the
investigation had uncovered several violations, some of which would
be deemed major by the NCAA. He said at the time there had been no
evidence linking Mumme to any of the violations.
Since that announcement, several newspaper reports said that
Kentucky assistant coaches had asked boosters for money to help pay
for recruits to attend Mumme's football camps, a violation of NCAA
rules. The school could not provide proof that nearly 20 recruits,
including Kentucky Mr. Football Montrell Jones, paid the fee to
attend Mumme's camp last summer.
Ivy said he did not ask for Mumme's resignation during a meeting
early Tuesday.
"We talked in general about where the program was and where he thought it could go if he continued," Ivy said. "I think it was more of a mutual understanding that a change would probably be best for all concerned."
Morriss has spent the last four seasons at Kentucky after one
year at Mississippi State. An All-Southwest Conference guard at
Texas Christian, Morriss played 15 seasons in the NFL -- 11 in
Philadelphia and four with New England.
Morriss coached with New England and Arizona in the NFL and had
stints at Valdosta State and with San Antonio of the Canadian
Football League.
The 48-year-old Mumme was a virtually unknown head coach at
Division II Valdosta State when he was hired by former athletic
director C.M. Newton in 1997 to replace Bill Curry, who was fired
after a 26-52 record in seven years at Kentucky
An offensive innovator, Mumme brought with him a wide-open
passing attack that showcased the talents of quarterback Tim Couch.
Under Mumme, Couch rewrote the Southeastern Conference record book
and became the top pick in the 1999 NFL draft.
"Mummeball," as his aggressive style of play became known,
ignited renewed fan interest in a languishing program. Following a
5-6 record his first season, the Wildcats went 7-5 and 6-6 the next
two years and played in back-to-back bowl games _ a feat
accomplished only twice previously in the 109-year history of the
program.
After boasting that his squad was ready to challenge perennial Southeastern Conference powers Florida and Tennessee entering the 2000 season, the Wildcats lost their final eight games to finish 2-9.
Following the team's season-ending blowout loss at Tennessee,
Mumme released four assistant coaches, including Bassett. Several
recruits have said Mumme told them he definitely would be
Kentucky's coach next season and he expected any possible NCAA
sanctions to be minimal.
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ALSO SEE
Division I football coaching changes
VIDEO
  Guy Morriss is named the new Kentucky head football coach. RealVideo: 28.8  Kentucky athletic director Larry Ivy announces coach Hal Mumme's resignation. wav: 219 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 What led to the downfall of Hal Mumme at Kentucky? Billy Reed, of the Lexington Herald-Leader, weighs in. RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 |
