No sooner than the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Mike Haywood was released, they conducted a phone interview with him and have, perhaps, his first published comments since the incident:
University of Pittsburgh football coach Mike Haywood posted bond this afternoon and has been released from an Indiana jail.
“It isn’t fair,” Haywood told the Tribune-Review in a telephone interview. “The truth will eventually come out.”
As I mentioned yesterday (and reiterated today) over at Pitt blog Cardiac Hill, even if it comes out that truth eventually does come out and the media has the story all wrong, this still looks back and is a black eye to Pitt and to Haywood.
Athletic Director Steve Pederson touted Haywood as a disciplinarian and as someone with strong character. So for something like this to occur shortly after his hiring is a huge disappointment. Pitt is now stuck in an incredibly unfortunate position. Recruiting for 2011 had already taken a big hit and it could get even worse. And on top of everything, the school still doesn’t know who will coach the bowl game.
Stay tuned.