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Pelini speaks out against AD in FAU firing

The Sports Xchange

April 18, 2014 at 3:29 pm.

Pelini had a 5-15 coaching record at Florida Atlantic. Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Carl Pelini said he believes his firing as football coach at Florida Atlantic University last October was not exclusively because of drug use allegations, but because of problems with new athletic director Pat Chun.

Pelini, who has moved back to Nebraska, where he worked as defensive coordinator from 2008-11, made the comments in a radio interview on KFAB, the Omaha station that broadcasts Nebraska football.

“Ultimately, I think it boiled down to an athletic director who didn’t hire me,” said Pelini, who is taking a year off from coaching. “We were making improvements.

“He came down there from Ohio State. He was their No. 1 fundraiser and made a lot of promises about money he was going to raise and changes we were going to make facilities-wise. He was not having a lot of success and we were growing as a football program. I think he wanted to hitch his reins to a new horse and get some credit for it and wanted to make a change.”

Chun announced on Oct. 30 that Pelini and defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis had resigned because of allegations involving illegal drug use. A member of the Florida Atlantic staff claimed to have personally witnessed marijuana and cocaine use, but Pelini denies using illegal drugs.

Pelini said he regrets resigning and charged Chun with misleading him.

“I trusted him,” Pelini said. “He looked at me over the desk and said, ‘If you sign this paper, I will take care of you. I’ll explain what went down. We want to be clear about why you resigned.’

“And then he wasn’t. He went back on his word and it really disappointed me.”

When Pelini asked to withdraw his resignation, Florida Atlantic fired him for failing “to report certain conduct of a staff member.” Reportedly, drug use was not mentioned explicitly in the letter notifying Pelini of his firing.

A Florida Atlantic spokeswoman said Chun “has generally not commented on Pelini.”

Pelini had a 5-15 coaching record at Florida Atlantic.

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