Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart defends football coach Butch Jones

Vice Chancellor and University of Tennessee Athletic Director David Hart defended embattled head coach Butch Jones in a press conference today called to deal with the sexual assault scandal that has rocked the school.


"I am confident Butch Jones, implicitly," Hart said. "I know who he is. I know his work ethic. I know what it's meant to this program and what is destined to this university. I know what it has represented this university."


According to a court filing on Wednesday, Jones reportedly told second Drae Bowle that "betrayed the team," and called him "a traitor to the team" after the wideout helped a woman who claimed to have been raped by two football players.

Jones said in a statement that the lawsuit "is absolutely false." Hart, who hired Jones in December 2012, the statement said their coach "speaks for itself" and declined to address the details of demand throughout the press conference that lasted more than half an hour.

The addition of two new applicants to the federal lawsuit filed number of plaintiffs - all identified as Jane - eight.

"We encourage victims to come forward," Hart said. "I hope the amount of publicity generated in recent days will not discourage the action of the victims. The perpetrators must be treated immediately and processed".

Five women said they were assaulted by University of Tennessee fútboljugadores, one of them said he was attacked by a basketball player at school and another said he was attacked by a non-athlete at a party organized by a football player. Another alleged victim said she transferred to another school because he feared reprisals for help a friend who reported being raped by a football player, depending on demand.

"Obviously, we are concerned," Hart said when asked about the charges against football players. I think one is too, "said Hart." We have 130 football players and have the opportunity to interact regularly with them. We have a lot of good real people. "

The lawsuit alleges Tennessee was more lenient when it comes to disciplining student-athletes a statement Hart denied.


"Our student athletes are treated like any other member of the student body and that is the way it should be," he said. "The only difference, and preach to them on a very regular basis, is that they are the most visible ambassadors university. That's a burden to carry someone whose age is between 17 and 22."

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