(UPDATE: Ukwuachu was sentenced Friday to six months in jail, 10 years’ probation and 400 hours of community service.)
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Ukwuachu transferred to Baylor from Boise State where he played for Chris Petersen, who is now the head coach at Washington.
Petersen kicked Ukwuachu off the team for undisclosed reasons in May 2013. During Ukwuachu’s trial, a former girlfriend from Boise State testified that Ukwuachu punched her in the head several times, choked her, physically restrained her from leaving and had a reputation for having a violent temper.
Baylor coach Art Briles denied knowing anything about Ukwuachu’s violent past, but Petersen essentially called Briles a liar in a statement Friday released to ESPN.com.
“After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles,” Petersen’s statement said. “In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam’s disciplinary record and dismissal.”
Petersen’s side of the story is far different from Briles’ account. When asked if Boise State informed him of linebacker’s disciplinary record, Briles said all the coaching staff knew about the defensive end before recruiting him was that he was depressed and homesick.
Ukwuachu never played a down at Baylor because of transfer rules (2013) and suspension (2014). But Briles is under heavy scrutiny for bringing the former freshman All-American to campus. And if Petersen is telling the truth, the mudslide won’t stop any time soon.
UPDATE2: Briles, in a statement released Friday evening, expanded on what he said earlier in the day. He again claimed Petersen told him nothing about Ukwuachu’s violent past:
Briles also released through the university a transfer form supposedly sent from Boise State’s compliance office to Baylor’s. The release was an attempt to support Briles’ claim:
“As required with any transfer to Baylor, Boise State acknowledged that he was not suspended due to any institutional disciplinary reason and further that he was eligible for competition if he chose to return to Boise State.”
