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American Morning
Water May be Getting Deeper for Former Baylor University Basketball Coach
Aired August 18, 2003 - 07:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The water may be getting a bit deeper for former Baylor University basketball coach Dave Bliss. He's admitted to improperly paying Patrick Dennehy's tuition. Now audiotapes have surfaced that further implicate Bliss and on the tapes those transcripts quote him as saying, "Our whole thing right now, we can get out of this. Reasonable doubt is there's nobody right now that can say that we paid Patrick Dennehy. Because he's dead, what we've got to create here is drugs." That's a quote from the transcript.
Ed Lavandera now has more on a Monday morning in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the death of Patrick Dennehy, investigators have been looking into NCAA rules violations in Baylor's basketball program. Investigators want to know whether Dennehy and some other players were being paid improperly to pay basketball.
According to published reports in the "Fort Worth Star Telegram" and confirmed to CNN by the university's lead investigator, head coach Dave Bliss allegedly asked several players and an assistant coach to give university investigators false information to protect the basketball program. Bliss reportedly suggested that Patrick Dennehy be portrayed as someone involved with drugs.
The "Star Telegram" quotes Bliss as saying that, "If there's a way we can create a perception that Pat may have been a dealer, even if we had to kind of make some things look a little better than they are, that can save us."
Baylor assistant coach Abar Rouse taped three hours of conversations between himself, Bliss and several other plays in late July. CNN has heard a small portion of these recordings, much of which is difficult to understand because of poor audio quality. But in this portion, you can hear Bliss coaching the players on what to tell investigators.
DAVID BLISS: You'll tell a story, tell your own story and then if (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the fact that, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LAVANDERA: The university's lead investigator tells CNN that Bliss was confronted about these conversations last Friday and admitted to the conversations. Bliss was said to be shocked that he had been recorded. Repeated attempts by CNN to reach Bliss and Assistant Coach Rouse have been unsuccessful.
Baylor officials say they feel betrayed by Bliss, who resigned as head coach on August 8.
ROBERT SLOAN, PRESIDENT, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY: I'm outraged not only by his own deception, but his efforts to enlist players and assistant coaches in this scheme.
LAVANDERA: According to the Fort Worth newspaper, Bliss told them he was "completely wrong" in what he did and that he knows he's disappointed a lot of people.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Basketball Coach>
Aired August 18, 2003 - 07:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The water may be getting a bit deeper for former Baylor University basketball coach Dave Bliss. He's admitted to improperly paying Patrick Dennehy's tuition. Now audiotapes have surfaced that further implicate Bliss and on the tapes those transcripts quote him as saying, "Our whole thing right now, we can get out of this. Reasonable doubt is there's nobody right now that can say that we paid Patrick Dennehy. Because he's dead, what we've got to create here is drugs." That's a quote from the transcript.
Ed Lavandera now has more on a Monday morning in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the death of Patrick Dennehy, investigators have been looking into NCAA rules violations in Baylor's basketball program. Investigators want to know whether Dennehy and some other players were being paid improperly to pay basketball.
According to published reports in the "Fort Worth Star Telegram" and confirmed to CNN by the university's lead investigator, head coach Dave Bliss allegedly asked several players and an assistant coach to give university investigators false information to protect the basketball program. Bliss reportedly suggested that Patrick Dennehy be portrayed as someone involved with drugs.
The "Star Telegram" quotes Bliss as saying that, "If there's a way we can create a perception that Pat may have been a dealer, even if we had to kind of make some things look a little better than they are, that can save us."
Baylor assistant coach Abar Rouse taped three hours of conversations between himself, Bliss and several other plays in late July. CNN has heard a small portion of these recordings, much of which is difficult to understand because of poor audio quality. But in this portion, you can hear Bliss coaching the players on what to tell investigators.
DAVID BLISS: You'll tell a story, tell your own story and then if (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the fact that, you know, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LAVANDERA: The university's lead investigator tells CNN that Bliss was confronted about these conversations last Friday and admitted to the conversations. Bliss was said to be shocked that he had been recorded. Repeated attempts by CNN to reach Bliss and Assistant Coach Rouse have been unsuccessful.
Baylor officials say they feel betrayed by Bliss, who resigned as head coach on August 8.
ROBERT SLOAN, PRESIDENT, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY: I'm outraged not only by his own deception, but his efforts to enlist players and assistant coaches in this scheme.
LAVANDERA: According to the Fort Worth newspaper, Bliss told them he was "completely wrong" in what he did and that he knows he's disappointed a lot of people.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Basketball Coach>
