Tuesday November 23, 2004 www.kykernel.com newsroom: 257-1915 First issue free. Subsequent issues 25 cents. K THE KENTUCKY er ne 1 Celebrating 33 years of independence mm nun | smr UK headcoach Rich Brooks speaks at yesterday's new conference in Wildcat Den at Commonwealth Stadium. Brooks discussed the resrgnation of offenswe coordinator Ron Hudson. SEE COLUMN ON PAGE 3 FOR REACTION. UK assistant steps down * Offensive coordinator resigns; head coach will By Jeff Patterson iHE KENTUCKY KERNEL UK offensive coordinator Ron Hudson resigned yester- day. ending weeks of specula- tion that he and head coach Rich Brooks would not return next season. Brooks addressed the team before practice yesterday about Hudson's decision to leave the team before the end of the season. “i didn‘t really see it com» iiig." said junior tight end Je- remiah Drobney. Hudson talked to Brooks Sunday about the possibility of stepping down. Brooks said. Hudson handed in his resignation after sleeping on it, “Because of the turmoil surrounding my future and the lack of brorluctioii within the offense. i feel it would be in the best interest of the pro- gram that I relinquish my po- sition at the University of Kentucky." said Hudson. who could not be reached for com ment. in a press statement. Brooks “reluctantly ae cepted" Hudson‘s resignation. “He felt there was so much going on that it would be bet- ter for the team." Brooks said. “i tried to talk him out of it. "I'm sick to my stomach about it." Hudson served as an assis- tant coach tinder Brooks at Oregon from 197778. Speculation on both coach- es‘ future began Nov, 1. when Brooks said he'd quit if Hud» son were to be fired. UK President Lee Todd and Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart couldn‘t give a clear vote of confidence for Brooks Friday after the UK Athletic Board of Directors meeting. However. the athletic di- rector had no problem endors- ing Brooks yesterday. be back in 2005 “Rich will be back next year." Barnhart said. Brooks said UK adminisv trators did not pressure Hud- son to resign. “There was enough spec- ulation." Brooks said. “He wanted to clear the air. “He made it clear he did ii't want to be the focus of this week." “This was Ron‘s sion." Barnhart said. Hudson signed a two-year contract in January 2003. paying him 8200.000 per year. His current contract was set to expire June 30, 200;”). Receivers coach Joker Phillips and offensive line coach Paul Dunn will call the plays in UK's season finale Saturday at ’l‘eiinessee Phillips will call the passing plays front the press box. Dunn will call the running plays from the sideline. "Everything has happened so fast." Phillips said. “His last words to us were. '(Jet them ready?" Hudson came to UK after being an assistant with Kansas State from 1995 to 2002. He was the offensive co- ordinator for his final six sea- sons there. At Kansas State. his of- fense led the nation in scoring iii 1998, averaging 48 points per game. In 2(Ki2. he coached the nation‘s second-leading of- fense. averaging 45.8 points per game. But his results at UK did- n't live up to the numbers pro- duced at Kansas State. Last season. UK averaged 273 points per game and ranked 96th out of ll? Nf‘AA Divi» sion l-A teams in total offense. This season. UK ranks 115th in scoring. at 14.2 points per game. “I wouldn‘t point it at Ron deci- See Hudson on page 2 Ron Hudson I Born in Oakland, Calif. I He played basketball, track and rugby at Diabio Valley College and the University of California. He also played football while serving in the Marine Corps. I He has coached for 36 years, in- cluding serving as UK's offensive co- ordinator for the past two seasons. He coached at Kansas State for eight seasons before coming to UK. I He worked as an assistant under Rich Brooks at Oregon from 1977-78. I He started coaching as a gradu~ ate assrstant at California in 1969. He has also coached at Stanford, UCLA. Notre Dame, Illinois and with the now~defunct USFL's Memphis Show‘ boats. I He has coached in W bowl games in his career. I He IS married to the former Melissa Roth. “Rich (Brooks) will be back next year." Mitch Barnhart UK Athletic Director By the numbers UK offense in 2004 114th in total offense out of 07 NCAA DiViSion l-A schools liSth scoring offense, averaging 14.2 points per game 17 touchdowns 270 yards per game UK offense in 2003 96th in total offense 57th in scoring offense, averaging 27.3 pornts per game 44 touchdowns 327.3 yards per game Hudson's offense at Kansas State 1998: Led the nation in scoring with 48 pornts per game 2002: Second in scoring with 45.8 points per game Hudson Phillips Suspect in 2003 sexual assault pleads guilty Roland with his hand around a woman's neck and chased him until he ran to a [7K police of; ficer for help. By Dariush Shafa WE moucxv KERNEI A former Eastern Ken» tiicky University student who was charged Novem- ber 2003 iii a sexual assault of a student on Rose Street. changed his plea yesterday morning in Fayette (‘ircuit (‘oiit‘t Avery (‘. Roland. 26. pleaded guilty to firsttde- gree sexual abuse. unlawful imprisonment and fourth- degree assault "It's kind of a personal decision." said Roland‘s lawyer. Alex Rowady. about the change in pleas. "i think he felt it was the tiiost ap- propriate resolu- tion." Roland was ar rested Nov 1. 2003. near the Boone Faculty (‘enter af- ter four UK stu- dents. Todd Seagrave. Jeff Tiirok. Scott Howe and Matthew Boone. said they heard screams coming from behind the faculty club. The four students said i Roland they found ”We were all there." 'l‘urok said. "We saw what hap pened. There‘s no way we were going to get refuted " Turok said he is also happy at the resolution to this chapter in his life con sidering it was in the legal system for a year. As for being called he- roes. 'l‘urok said he and the others were iiist doing what was right “It's how raised." he said. "It makes you feel good about your gut instinct and knowing right from wrong." Roland is currently be ing held at the Fayette (‘ounty Detention t‘enter and will be sentenced later in December (\Vt‘l Wt‘l‘t‘ I-Jemai’l dshafa .i kykernelrom I Cheap fares to fly home Page 6 Cats try not to catch upset bug Page 3 Student reports attempted assault Burglary occurred at apartment while student, roommate slept By Emily Hagedorn in kwucio KERNEL An unknown man broke into title of the Royal Lexing- ton apartments aiid attempted to assault a female student. said Lexington Police and the victim. On Friday at about 31:3 a m. an unknown man en» tered a first-floor apartment at the Virginia Avenue coni- plex through an unlocked window in one of the bed rooms. said Lt. James (‘urless. commander of the person al crimes section for the Lesiiigton l’olice. Laying the screen on the empty bed. the suspect walked to the living mom. said the victim. l‘ai'rie Eliza beth Grimes. 20. The man probably broke into (irimes‘ apartment be- cause he saw her and her roommate in the ll\ ing room. said the psychology sophomon- “it was probably because we had our blinds open in the living room." (irimes said The suspect did not awake (ii‘lmt‘\ until he was on top of her and ripped her pants at the \f‘lilii. she said. He also did not awake her other roommate who was sleeping on another couch. Grimes pushed him off and ran into her other room mate‘s room. "I was really confused." she had was to push him off me." By the time that roommate ran out of the bedroom. the suspect was already jumping out of the window. (‘urless said he fled on foot (irimes was not hurt. and the police report said she was not taken to the hospital (‘urless could not confirm many of iirimes' details be- cause “we as an agency don't release specifics." he said. The suspect is about 354;" had closeshaven. dark hair: and was wearing a black. short sleeve tersey with white stripes on the sleeves and baggy. light color jeans. she said. (irimes said she did not get a good look at his face be- cause tlie first thing he did when she pushed him off was See CRIME on page 2 said "The first reflex l The burglary and attempted assault occurred in an apartment at the Royal Leic ington complex near Lime- stone and Vir- ginia avenues early Friday morning. CASSIE STOKES I srArr Number of athletes graduating may rise Bv Carlosh Shata {h 'iRN‘i my up." By 31lti",illt‘ldli\i-t'si'\ ot l\'i“tt.ii'l\_\ will try to in croaw graduation initcs of stilllt‘iil .itfiletes to To percent. according to pliiis oiitlit‘cd b\ t'K's .\'f‘.\.\ selfstudy steering coiiiitiittcc The most rec t"ll .\'l‘ \ \ stati‘tics teriiig school between Wit and lief \ll"\\ l'K's stu- dent .ithleo- graduation "Silt“ :it to percent this figure is ille‘ second lowest nerccii' |..'i‘ iii the Southeastern t‘onfer for freshmen en‘ t'llt‘t' 'l‘hc .i\i".l*_'i‘ a: Hlli.illi'ii l‘.lit' for .ill l'K students is o'l percent. said Jolii‘. l‘iei oz'o .i pliii'ut lt'\ professor who is scr\ mg on the ('Hliililll’i' .\lllli‘llt liiv‘ector .\litcli B.ii tiliait said athletics should striic to he on par with the iiiii\crsity's rate The present goal for as is to mirror the university." ltat‘tiltai't s.iltl The computer .igreod .lllil sair in the report that the admissions process is not the real culprit. instead. ”is- sues of iiiotiyation and .ichie\enient‘ are The committee .ilso discussed the possibility of in creasing spots on l'K athletic teams but said that even if team si/es are increased. the amount of financial aid and the number of scholarships would not increase Though the possibility w as discussed. the committee called the mine "tin-gative" and declined to investigate it further Another issue the committee focused on was the gap iii participation between men‘s sports and women's sports a 2.3 percent gap They proposed that [K Athletics begin searching for another women's sport. The plan suggests a dedicated search in fall 2008 with a sport selected by spring 2006 and a financial plan ready by fall 11006. “I think it should be a commitment." said Barbara Young. a UK Board of Trustees member “That‘s what a plan is." The steering committee‘s chairwoman. (.‘onnie Ray. l'K‘s vice president for institutional research. planning and effectiveness. said that though there are obstacles. the goals are within reach. ”That doesn't mean we can't improve." she said. "What we would like to do is not impossible." Email dshafa it: kykernelcom