Steve Alford is the new head coach at UCLA and with that job comes more scrutiny, which is one reason why the coach apologized for past comments he made about the Pierre Pierce sexual assault case while he was still the head at Iowa in 2002.
According to ESPNLosAngeles.com, Alford apologized for comments he made about the case while he was the Iowa coach, saying that he was sorry for defending the player before the case had fully finished asnd before all the facts were known. The report says that Pierce, who was a sophomore at the time, was charged with sexual assault and Alford repeatedly said that he was innocent.
Despite the fact that Alford suspended him after, he said multiple times that Pierce was innocent publically and that the suspension was "not a suspension of guilt." He also said that "By no means is there guilt," as well as "I totally believe he is innocent. I believed it from day one, and I still believe it."
Soon after those quotes, Piece pleaded guilty to reduced charge and Alford now said that he regretted making the comments. Pierce eventually went to jail for another sexual assault, making Alford's words sting more.
"I instinctively and mistakenly came to his defense before knowing all the facts," Alford said in a statement released by UCLA. "I wanted to believe he was innocent, and in response to a media question, I publicly proclaimed his innocence before the legal system had run its course. This was inappropriate, insensitive and hurtful, especially to the young female victim involved, and I apologize for that."
Alford is the new head coach at UCLA after spending years at New Mexico.
