North Carolina State University
O'Brien fires back at Withers' comments
By Josh Goodson
Published: 2011-11-03 10:59:00
Updated: 2011-11-03 19:15:42
Nov 3, 2011
Things are becoming nasty between UNC Interim Head Coach Everett Withers and NCSU Head Coach Tom O’Brien.
On Wednesday in an interview with 99.9 The Fan ESPN Radio Withers said, “When you have as many schools in this state as you have and the recruiting base gets watered down a little bit, I think the kids in this state need to know ‘the flagship school'.”
“They need to know it academically," Withers continued. "If you look at our graduation rates opposed to our opponent this week’s graduation rates for football, I think you’ll see a difference. If you look at the educational environment here, I think you’ll see a difference.”
Tom O’Brien was quick to fire a rebuttal during his usual weekly Thursday availability with the media.
“As far as the flagship, here was a guy (Withers) who was on a football staff that ends up in Indianapolis," O'Brien said, “You have an agent on staff, you are paying players & you have academic fraud. That's a triple play as far as the NCAA is concerned."
O’Brien also had a response to the academic questions that Withers raised on Wednesday by saying, “At our school, number one, all classes have a syllabus. Our guys go to school, they are not given grades, and they graduate.”
Withers opened up his media availability Thursday by addressing the comments made on The Fan Wednesday saying it was "out of pride for his university" and was not intended to take a shot at NC State.
Reports Thursday afternoon that UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp called to appologize to NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson regarding Withers' remarks were denied by UNC. In an email response to an inquiry, Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations Nancy Davis said:
"The chancellors talked this afternoon. They’re good friends and have great respect for their institutions. The coaches were just engaging in a little rivalry-week talk. That’s all it was."
UNC and NC State will face off at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. You can watch the game on WRAL-TV 5.
Copyright 2013 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Most Recent Comments
RE: O'Brien fires back at Withers' comments
LOL LOL
BOTTOM LINE JUST LIKE TOM O`BRIEN SAID !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAROLINA TARHEELS ARE CHEATERS
LAUGHING HERE BIG TIME
CAROLINA TARHEELS AND THE ONE THEY CALL WITHER`S ARE PROUD TO BE CHEATERS
LAUGHING HERE LOL
- Posted by FordMan
Wow. What a mastery of the English Language you have. I'm sure State wouldn't graduate anyone who can't use the appropriate sentence structure and punctuation.
You really should take a remedial course for that towel boy..
UNC 38 State 17
GO HEELS!
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
How do you know what the score going to be????????????????????
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Maybe cheating as well mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
TAlking about my language??????????????????????
AT least I am not a cheater like your school is !!!!!!
Carolina has made a fool out of Themeselves all across the country
And now your interim coach has made a fool again out of your school
LOL LOL
And you are talking about my language
Laughing here
Laughing here big time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey man you were totally wrong LOL
The real score was NCSU 13 and UNC 0
You were a little off Laughing
Not only did NCSU win they shut out Carolina Zero points
RE: O'Brien fires back at Withers' comments
HEY HAS ANYONE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS ????????????????????????????????
THE ONE THEY SAY IS THE SORRY INTERIM COACH AT CAROLINA , WHITHERS DID HE GRADUATE FROM ANY COLLEGE ??????????????? JUST WONDERING HE IS TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS GRADES?????????????
HOW DID HE DO IN SCHOOL IF HE EVEN WENT TO SCHOOL AND DID HE EVEN GRADUATE??????????
CAN HE READ OR WRITE ?????????????????????????????????
JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS THOUGHT ABOUT THESE FACTS???????????????????????????
LOL LOL LOL LOL
- Posted by FordMan
HEY YOU WANT TO KNOW A REAL STORY WORTH INVESTIGATING? WHY IS IT THAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL COMPELLED TO POST IN ALL CAPS ON INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS? ARE THEY UNABLE TO FIND THE CAPS LOCK KEY? I'LL GIVE YOU A HINT-ITS ON THE LEFTHAND PART OF YOUR KEYBOARD.
HAVE A NICE DAY!!!
I had an awesome day
LOL NCSU 13 and UNC 0
Not only did NCSU win the game they shut out Carolina
I did have an awesome day not a good day but an awesome day.
Thanks
RE: O'Brien fires back at Withers' comments
TOB was not accurate???? Excuse me-was NC State in Indy pleading for mercy??? NO- UNC was though. UNC has issues with an agent on staff, paying players, unequal benefits, and cheating. And Withers calls out State!!! WHAT is he smoking??? I thought dope was illegal!
Withers was playing to his base-looking for a permanent job. Shame was-he headed down the wrong road!! Save the trash the game!!
- Posted by cwood3
Yes you heard it right. Withers, although poorly timed in his comments, was accurate. TOBY was not. Blake has never been called an agent by anyone other that TOBY. Not a singe rational person has ever said that UNC was paying athletes. Only Obrien, but he is irrational.
Obrien took the bait that Withers should not have thrown out there at all. TOBY does not need to be baited to run off at the moth and make comments that are not true. I hope little Debby keeps him on a the coach at NCSu.
Withers made baiting Toby look easier than any number of us baiting Faye State, or Paula.
Heh. Good times. Good time's-a-comin'....
SHUTOUT!!!!
Good times indeed!!!!!
RE: O'Brien fires back at Withers' comments
You just bought yourself a beatdown Opie.....no calling the dogs off on Saturday..... thanks...if the Heels weren't ready to slobberknock your pathetic excuse for a football team....they are now.....see you in a couple of days...
.. Withers
- Posted by sportznut628
Slobberknock? Renner knows all about that. The only pathetic team was in pu**y blue.
RE: O'Brien fires back at Withers' comments
Withers withers.
Talkin' trash with a garbage squad.
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