Muschamp responds to report alleging racial insensitivity against Mike Bobo
South Carolina’s investigation into claims of racial insensitivity levied against Mike Bobo is still ongoing, but Will Muschamp came out in defense of his offensive coordinator Monday.
Asked about the article where former Colorado State players and staffers accuse the former Rams’ head coach of racial insensitivity, Muschamp couldn’t comment much but what he did say was in defiant support of his long time friend.
“Those claims to me are completely absurd,” Muschamp said. I’ve known Mike since 1993 and he doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. That’s really all I can comment at this time. I look forward to commenting further but I don’t want to give the article any more credibility because it doesn’t deserve any.”
According to the report, which can be read in full here, over 20 current and former CSU players and athletic department staff witnessed "recurring instances of racial insensitivity and abusive behavior" under Bobo and now Steve Addazio's tenures.
Muschamp has known Bobo since their days playing together at the University of Georiga and they’ve been in coaching together for almost three decades.
An investigation is ongoing into those claims with Ray Tanner and the athletic department interviewing players in the program.
Tanner said on 107.5 FM the other day once the investigation is wrapped up he’ll present the findings to president Bob Caslen and the two will determine the next course of action.
"Some things were said were disparaging in many ways. You still have to do an inquiry. That’s begun. We're in the midst of that," Tanner said on 107.5 FM last week. "I’ve had a chance to visit with him and a couple of our other staff members. I’ll do a report back to our president and report back. Those things we don’t take lightly. I have great respect for Mike Bobo, I’ll tell you that. I’ve heard from a number of student athletes in a positive way.”
Bobo brought three people with him from Colorado State to Columbia in quarterback Collin Hill, fullback Adam Prentice and Joe Cox, who serves as the Gamecocks' new wide receiver coach.
Cox already took to Twitter this week in support of Bobo, tweeting out a message of support for his boss.
Cox also played quarterback for Bobo at Georgia before joining his coaching staff at Colorado State.
"I'm actually shocked that I even have to make a remark about this...but I have known Bobo since I was 15 years old. I knew him throughout my recruitment, played for him for 5 years, coached for him for 5 years at CSU, vacationed with his family, he knows my wife, my child, my family. And it's absurd that his character is under any sort of scrutiny from ANYONE that knows him," Cox tweeted. "If some of the things mentioned in this article were true, I WOULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH IT. Other coaches would have had a serious problem with it. He is one of the reasons I chose to coach, and I feel disrespected for him.”
South Carolina started its preseason training camp this week and Mike Bobo is scheduled to talk with the media Thursday afternoon.
