49ers Clubhouse

San Jose Mercury

Neuheisel acknowledges he met with 49ers

February 14, 2003

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON COACH APOLOGIZES FOR LYING TO SCHOOL, MEDIA
By Dennis Georgatos
Mercury News
University of Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel has admitted lying earlier this week when he denied discussing the 49ers' coaching job with General Manager Terry Donahue and other team executives.
``I thought first about what the 49ers had asked of me,'' Neuheisel said Thursday, referring to a confidentiality agreement with the team. ``I was trying to protect them, when I should have told the truth. I'm sorry all this happened.''
The 49ers, citing their determination to keep elements of the monthlong coaching search confidential despite the hiring of Dennis Erickson, would not confirm they met with Neuheisel.
In interviews Monday with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle Times and radio station KJR as well as in an official university statement, Neuheisel said he never met with 49ers officials Sunday and never had contact with them about the coaching job. He said his presence last weekend in the Bay Area was coincidental to a golf outing with friends.
The veracity of Neuheisel's story unraveled after Post-Intelligencer columnist John Levesque reported Wednesday that he overheard the coach Sunday at the San Francisco airport talking by telephone with his parents about the 49ers job. Tuesday, the 49ers hired Oregon State Coach Erickson.
``Rick made a mistake and he wants to set the record straight, and that's what he's doing,'' Jim Daves, a spokesman with Washington's sports information department, said Thursday.
Neuheisel said he met Sunday with 49ers director John York, consultant Bill Walsh and Donahue after they asked him to cut short a vacation.
``I want to correct the situation and apologize for not being more candid. I will work hard at repairing those relationships I have damaged,'' Neuheisel told the Times.
Norm Arkans, a special assistant to the president at Washington, said the school was satisfied with Neuheisel's admission and apology.
Neither York nor Donahue returned phone calls seeking comment. Through the 49ers' public relations department, Donahue issued a statement that read in part: ``We had to maintain a level of confidentiality with the college coaches we were interested in speaking to. We handled each of them the same.''
Donahue had elaborated on that belief the day before. After Erickson's introductory news conference Wednesday, Donahue was asked why the 49ers had acknowledged the candidacies of three NFL defensive coordinators and arranged post-interview news conferences for them but shielded potential college candidates from media scrutiny.
``No college coach can be exposed to the media, when he currently has a team,'' Donahue said. ``It isn't the right thing to do for the coach or for us. An NFL assistant coach doesn't have a team, a community, a university that he's responsible for. As a head coach, you certainly would not want to discuss the prospects of another NFL job at that time.''
• The 49ers will open the exhibition season at Kansas City, the team announced. The 49ers then will host the Raiders and New Orleans before finishing the exhibition season at San Diego.

Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON COACH APOLOGIZES FOR LYING TO SCHOOL, MEDIA

By Dennis Georgatos
Mercury News

University of Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel has admitted lying earlier this week when he denied discussing the 49ers' coaching job with General Manager Terry Donahue and other team executives.

``I thought first about what the 49ers had asked of me,'' Neuheisel said Thursday, referring to a confidentiality agreement with the team. ``I was trying to protect them, when I should have told the truth. I'm sorry all this happened.''

The 49ers, citing their determination to keep elements of the monthlong coaching search confidential despite the hiring of Dennis Erickson, would not confirm they met with Neuheisel.

In interviews Monday with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle Times and radio station KJR as well as in an official university statement, Neuheisel said he never met with 49ers officials Sunday and never had contact with them about the coaching job. He said his presence last weekend in the Bay Area was coincidental to a golf outing with friends.

The veracity of Neuheisel's story unraveled after Post-Intelligencer columnist John Levesque reported Wednesday that he overheard the coach Sunday at the San Francisco airport talking by telephone with his parents about the 49ers job. Tuesday, the 49ers hired Oregon State Coach Erickson.

``Rick made a mistake and he wants to set the record straight, and that's what he's doing,'' Jim Daves, a spokesman with Washington's sports information department, said Thursday.

Neuheisel said he met Sunday with 49ers director John York, consultant Bill Walsh and Donahue after they asked him to cut short a vacation.

``I want to correct the situation and apologize for not being more candid. I will work hard at repairing those relationships I have damaged,'' Neuheisel told the Times.

Norm Arkans, a special assistant to the president at Washington, said the school was satisfied with Neuheisel's admission and apology.

Neither York nor Donahue returned phone calls seeking comment. Through the 49ers' public relations department, Donahue issued a statement that read in part: ``We had to maintain a level of confidentiality with the college coaches we were interested in speaking to. We handled each of them the same.''

Donahue had elaborated on that belief the day before. After Erickson's introductory news conference Wednesday, Donahue was asked why the 49ers had acknowledged the candidacies of three NFL defensive coordinators and arranged post-interview news conferences for them but shielded potential college candidates from media scrutiny.

``No college coach can be exposed to the media, when he currently has a team,'' Donahue said. ``It isn't the right thing to do for the coach or for us. An NFL assistant coach doesn't have a team, a community, a university that he's responsible for. As a head coach, you certainly would not want to discuss the prospects of another NFL job at that time.''

• The 49ers will open the exhibition season at Kansas City, the team announced. The 49ers then will host the Raiders and New Orleans before finishing the exhibition season at San Diego.

Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.