Doyle Denies Making Racist Comments
Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle said in a statement released Sunday that he did not make racist comments to players during their time in the program.
Doyle was placed on administrative leave on Saturday after numerous allegations were posted on Twitter by former players.
"I have been asked to remain silent, but that is impossible for me to do," Doyle said in his statement. "There have been statements made about my behavior that are not true. I do not claim to be perfect. I have made mistakes, learned lessons and like every American citizen, can do better. At no time have I ever crossed the line of unethical behavior or bias based upon race. I do not make racists (sic) comments and I don't tolerate people who do.
"I am confident that a complete review of the body of work over 21 years will speak for itself and I am trusting the process to respect the rights and experiences of all parties involved. There are countless men of character who are better fathers, husbands, activists, leaders and contributors to society due to their experience at Iowa Football. The record will show this."
"I don't remember using the word 'silent,'" head coach Kirk Ferentz said during his video conference with media members on Sunday. "I've always been a person who ... you have to be cautious what you put out.
"I'm not here to tell Chris what to do. I would also suggest that when you feel like you're being wrongly accused of things, or what have you, you want your day to voice your side of things. And I can appreciate that. Just like my players, I'm not here to muzzle anybody, to tell them what to say or what not to say."
An independent review of the allegations made by the players during the weekend will be conducted, Ferentz said in a statement released on Saturday night.
"Again, the biggest takeaway is that we have to listen harder, we have to ask harder, to questions and topics," Ferentz said.
Ferentz said he had spoken to Doyle on "numerous occasions" over the weekend.
"I'm worried about everybody involved in the program, and his well-being, his family's well-being," Ferentz said. "You can only imagine the impact it has on everybody what's going on right now."
