Alabama athletic director to resign after controversy, football coach may be next

DuBose, whose team lost 29-28 to Louisiana Tech on Saturday, has heard the calls by some for his job, already imperiled because he admitted lying about his relationship with a female employee.

"But I don't worry about it," DuBose said. "I can't worry about it, I can't linger on it. I come to work every day"'

DuBose said he did not know whether his position was further weakened by the impending departure of Bockrath. Two sources from the school, who asked not to be identified, confirmed to The Associated Press that Bockrath had reached an agreement to re

Alabama coach Mike DuBose may lose his job over a sexual

sign, but the university made no formal announcement.

Bockrath, who declined comment on whether he was leaving Alabama, chose not to fire DuBose in August when the coach admitted to lying about a relationship with a university employee. The employee settled a sexual harassment claim with Alabama, and Bockrath took away the two-year contract extension he had earlier granted DuBose.

Now it looks like Bockrath will be the one to pay for that decision.

Bockrath will reportedly be paid through the remainder of this year, receiving between $250,000 to $300,000. An interim athletic director is expected to be named until a permanent replacement is found.

"It's pretty amazing that this is happening, but it is," said Mal Moore, the current athletic director for football relations and a name mentioned as a candidate for interim AD.

Senior tailback Shaun Alexander said much of the speculation about Bockrath and DuBose stemmed from the loss to Louisiana Tech.

"Everybody in these upstairs offices gets fidgety and starts talking and ruffling papers," Alexander said. "And one thing it does is start rumors."

Bockrath's departure comes just days after university trustees formed a committee to oversee athletics in the three-campus Alabama system. While trustees said the panel had no direct control, some saw the move as stripping Bockrath of his power.

Some board members said they were unhappy with a decision by Bockrath and university president Andrew Sorensen to punish, rather than fire, DuBose following the sexual harassment settlement.

Asked Monday if he had considered resigning, DuBose, who has a 13-13 career record at Alabama, said he hadn't.

"I love this university and if I was 100 percent convinced it was the best thing for this university, I would consider it," he said. "But I have not considered it."

Bockrath apparently isn't being given a choice. He confirmed last week that his Tuscaloosa home was for sale, but said it was because he and his wife wanted a smaller house.

Bockrath came to Alabama from Texas Tech in June 1996. Within six months, Gene Stallings had resigned as football coach and Bockrath, following what the fans and alumni were calling for, hired DuBose as his replacement.

He always seemed to make the popular decisions - naming former Alabama player Mike Gottfried the Tide's new basketball coach and moving the SEC football games out of Legion Field in Birmingham - but was never popular himself.

An Ohio native who never played for or coached with former Alabama coach Bear Bryant, Bockrath was viewed as an outsider to many Alabama fans.

He angered boosters last December when he failed to secure them enough tickets to the Music City Bowl. He accepted responsibility, calling it a miscalculation on his part, but several season ticket-holders sued.

The suit was later dismissed.

harassment claim that the school settled with a

former employee.

AP PHOTO

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