The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Augie Garrido press conference transcript: Jan. 23
01.24.2009 | Baseball
Jan. 23, 2009
DeLOSS DODDS
Thanks for being here.
This has been a tough week for all of us in athletics. It's been a devastating week for coach. He made a mistake. It's a serious mistake.
He knows that he's solely accountable for it. It's one of those things that you can't hide from, you can't run from. You have to stand up, you have to face it. You have to learn from it. You have to grow from it.
I hired coach 13 years ago. We've been through a couple of years that were pretty tough there at the beginning and I stood by him. I stood by him while we were winning Big 12 Championships and NCAA Championships, and I stand by him today.
This department is family and we all love Coach Garrido. He's done so much for so many. He's a leader. He's a mentor of young people. He's a thoughtful and kind human being, and I know that he will do all the right things. I know he will do it with class, I know he will do it with integrity and I know he will do it with strength.
Augie Garrido In a strange way, I missed all of you, and I was looking forward to seeing you. This isn't exactly what I had in mind, but it's a start. I'm a little bit emotional and a little bit nervous. It's a little harder when you start to get personal and you know the people you've had an effect on in a negative way. Being responsible for what I did makes it easier for me to not be emotional. I made a serious mistake. I drank alcohol, I got behind the wheel of a car, and that's a bad decision. A real bad decision.
I am privileged to work for The University of Texas. I honor that, I cherish that. The University is about being the best in the world at everything we do. No voice says it better, nobody sums it up better than when Walter Cronkite says, "What starts here changes the world." A university can't provide that kind of education to young people unless it is the best, and a leadership university. This university stands for that in every way. I have violated -- on my own, with my own decision -- the mission of The University. I'm solely responsible for that. This is not a reflection of The University. They are gracious and kind, they are accepting my mistake, and they're giving me a chance to prove that I can grow from this, and give back to The University and young people I come in contact with, the positive experiences that come from this crisis. I will do that. I know how, it's what I teach the players, and now I'm living it.
It's my turn to grow through the crises and the adversity, and show that you can become a better person, a better coach, a better mentor, and a better representative of The University as a result of it. I sincerely apologize. It's heartfelt. It's honest. I guess one of the great privileges that I have is the university is going to give me a chance to prove that. I won't disappoint. I won't.
So, as we move forward, there'll be a suspension of four games that the Athletics Department and The University has decided is a part of the penalty. I'll take the time in the meantime to deal with the prosecutor's office and get done what I need to do to make this right; serve the penalties that they decide are fair and just.
I want to make one other apology. To all the people that have lost loved ones, to families that have been destroyed throughout the country by drunk drivers, my heart goes out to you. I'm really glad that's not a part of what we're talking about here today. But when you get behind the wheel of a car, and you've had one drink, you're putting people in jeopardy. With that, I apologize for not being able to say more, but obviously there is still a lot left undone, in terms of what I have to do to make this right with the prosecutor's office. We'll deal with that in a step-by-step process.
I guess I'm going to have to put one Augie-ism in here. Those of you that cover this know that I live in the moment, in the value of the moment. These moments that are crises, in my life up to now, have really gone the farthest to help me become who I am. This will serve me that way. I believe that your greatest crises give you the information you need to be the person you're meant to be, and that's the way we'll use this.
Our team is fine. I'm on the team. They're supporting this and they're supporting me, as I would support them.