Former Oklahoma University and Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer says members of the Penn State coaching staff had to be aware of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky’s alleged behavior.
“Having been in this profession a long time and knowing how close coaching staffs are, I knew that this was a secret that was kept secret. Everyone on that had to have known, the ones that had been around a long time,” Switzer said in an interview with The Oklahoman newspaper.
Former Oklahoma University and Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer says members of the Penn State coaching staff had to be aware of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky’s alleged behavior. (AP Photo)
Switzer added that others outside the Penn State program had to have known as well.
“You think that a 13-year assistant ... hasn’t told someone else? His wife? His father? People knew. The community knew,” Switzer said.
Switzer said the tragedy of the situation was that no one stepped up to put a stop to Sandusky.
“There are more people culpable than just Joe Paterno and the athletic director. There are so many other people that have thought, ‘I could’ve done something about this, too’ that didn’t come forward. That’s the tragedy of it,” he said.
Switzer said that the university's trustees did the right thing by firing by Paterno on Wednesday night, but added that "there are no winners here.”
A grand jury indicted Sandusky on 40 charges of sexual abuse involving minors.
Switzer was forced to resign from Oklahoma in 1989 after the NCAA placed the football program on probation. The problems that drove Switzer out at OU, however, were nothing like what is going on at Penn State.
The Hall of Fame coach also had sharp words for Penn State students and fans who reacted violently to Paterno's firing.
"These students the other night, I watched 'em occupy State College, and I thought, ‘They don't understand.' If they stopped and thought about ... how many people were involved and knew this and did nothing, they just haven't lived long enough. And what they've done is try to support somebody the university can't support," he said.
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