Deuce
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Here's the story.
More inaccuracies
Second Tech coach has inaccurate biography
Posted: Tuesday January 29, 2002 11:54 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia Tech made another embarrassing revelation
Tuesday night, admitting that a second assistant football coach had an error in
his school-released biography.
Receivers coach Tommie Robinson, hired Jan. 4 by new head coach Chan
Gailey, did not earn a masters degree from Troy State in 1987, as the school
originally said in its news release.
"I made the mistake of not verifying it thoroughly," sports information director
Mike Stamus said. "So we're going through the embarrassment of more
inaccuracies in the bios."
The school already was shamed a month ago by revelations that former head
coach George O'Leary lied on his resume, costing him a new job at Notre
Dame.
Then, Gailey's newly hired defensive coordinator, Rick Smith, admitted
Monday that he never played on the football and baseball teams at Florida
State, as his biography claimed.
After Smith's discrepancies came to light, Stamus and his staff contacted each
assistant coach to make sure there were no other mistakes. That's when
Robinson pointed out that he didn't earn a masters degree in education from
Troy State, his alma mater.
Stamus said the error originated in Oklahoma State's 2001 media guide.
Robinson worked at the school for one year as a running backs coach.
"He told them up front that he did not have a master's degree," Stamus said.
"He worked on his masters degree at Troy State, and further at Arkansas
when he was there (with a later coaching job), but he was six hours short.
"Somehow, it got into his bio that he had a masters degree from Troy State."
That wasn't the first mistake to appear in Robinson's educational background.
During a three-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys, the team's media guide
said he earned a bachelor's degree from Troy State in psychology.
Robinson actually earned a criminal justice degree from Troy State in 1985,
with an emphasis in psychology.
"Both of these coaches made an effort to correct the info," Stamus said. "In
Rick Smith's case, it reappeared through no fault of his own. The info got into
Tommie's bio through no fault of his own. Unfortunately, we're taking the heat
on this. But they didn't provide false information."
Gailey and Robinson were both recruiting and could not be reached for
comment. Athletic director Dave Braine did not immediately return a
telephone message left at his home.
While attending Florida State, Smith was cut from the baseball team in 1969
before he played a game. He was never on the football team.
Smith said he offered his resignation to Gailey, who refused to accept it.
"A lot of times, playing football was assumed because I played baseball there
and was a football coach," he said. "Nobody ever asked me. If they did, I told
them I did not play."
The inaccurate information about Smith's history also appeared in the Georgia
Tech media guide in 1985, when he was defensive backs coach. It was
repeated in later media guides at Alabama and Kentucky, where he also held
assistant coach jobs.
The errors were not in his biographies at Tulane and Cincinnati, where he held
assistant jobs from 1997 to 2000. They reappeared when he returned to
Kentucky last year.
"There's been a mixup someplace over the years," Gailey said Monday. "He's
tried to get it straightened up over the years and, for some reason, someone
hasn't let him."
Five days after leaving Georgia Tech to become Notre Dame's new coach,
O'Leary admitted that he lied on his resume when he said he played football at
New Hampshire and had a master's degree from New York University.
O'Leary was forced to resign by Notre Dame. He was recently hired as
assistant head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.
More inaccuracies
Second Tech coach has inaccurate biography
Posted: Tuesday January 29, 2002 11:54 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia Tech made another embarrassing revelation
Tuesday night, admitting that a second assistant football coach had an error in
his school-released biography.
Receivers coach Tommie Robinson, hired Jan. 4 by new head coach Chan
Gailey, did not earn a masters degree from Troy State in 1987, as the school
originally said in its news release.
"I made the mistake of not verifying it thoroughly," sports information director
Mike Stamus said. "So we're going through the embarrassment of more
inaccuracies in the bios."
The school already was shamed a month ago by revelations that former head
coach George O'Leary lied on his resume, costing him a new job at Notre
Dame.
Then, Gailey's newly hired defensive coordinator, Rick Smith, admitted
Monday that he never played on the football and baseball teams at Florida
State, as his biography claimed.
After Smith's discrepancies came to light, Stamus and his staff contacted each
assistant coach to make sure there were no other mistakes. That's when
Robinson pointed out that he didn't earn a masters degree in education from
Troy State, his alma mater.
Stamus said the error originated in Oklahoma State's 2001 media guide.
Robinson worked at the school for one year as a running backs coach.
"He told them up front that he did not have a master's degree," Stamus said.
"He worked on his masters degree at Troy State, and further at Arkansas
when he was there (with a later coaching job), but he was six hours short.
"Somehow, it got into his bio that he had a masters degree from Troy State."
That wasn't the first mistake to appear in Robinson's educational background.
During a three-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys, the team's media guide
said he earned a bachelor's degree from Troy State in psychology.
Robinson actually earned a criminal justice degree from Troy State in 1985,
with an emphasis in psychology.
"Both of these coaches made an effort to correct the info," Stamus said. "In
Rick Smith's case, it reappeared through no fault of his own. The info got into
Tommie's bio through no fault of his own. Unfortunately, we're taking the heat
on this. But they didn't provide false information."
Gailey and Robinson were both recruiting and could not be reached for
comment. Athletic director Dave Braine did not immediately return a
telephone message left at his home.
While attending Florida State, Smith was cut from the baseball team in 1969
before he played a game. He was never on the football team.
Smith said he offered his resignation to Gailey, who refused to accept it.
"A lot of times, playing football was assumed because I played baseball there
and was a football coach," he said. "Nobody ever asked me. If they did, I told
them I did not play."
The inaccurate information about Smith's history also appeared in the Georgia
Tech media guide in 1985, when he was defensive backs coach. It was
repeated in later media guides at Alabama and Kentucky, where he also held
assistant coach jobs.
The errors were not in his biographies at Tulane and Cincinnati, where he held
assistant jobs from 1997 to 2000. They reappeared when he returned to
Kentucky last year.
"There's been a mixup someplace over the years," Gailey said Monday. "He's
tried to get it straightened up over the years and, for some reason, someone
hasn't let him."
Five days after leaving Georgia Tech to become Notre Dame's new coach,
O'Leary admitted that he lied on his resume when he said he played football at
New Hampshire and had a master's degree from New York University.
O'Leary was forced to resign by Notre Dame. He was recently hired as
assistant head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.