ONU replaces coach after violations found
Ohio Northern placed 17-year head coach Tom Kaczkowski on
administrative leave Saturday after an internal investigation
uncovered rules violations within the program and named Stacey
Hairston interim head coach.
"The university is deeply concerned about these violations,"
university president Kendall Baker said. "However, our focus is on
our young men in the football program. They are extraordinary
individuals of enormous dedication and we intend to do everything
we possibly can to ensure that they can enjoy the greatest success
possible this season."
"It"s our responsibility to police ourselves," Ohio Northern AD Tom
Simmons told The Lima News. "We hope our remedy will meet
the approval of the NCAA, and we think it will."
Baker and Simmons told the paper the school had received reports
about practices being held before the first permissible date, which
for ONU was Aug. 24.
Hairston has spent the past seven seasons as an assistant football
coach for ONU, coaching the defensive backs. He has also served as
special teams coordinator last year.
"My decision to serve as interim head coach was based on the
welfare of the players in our program," Hairston said. "It was a
very difficult decision, but we have a great group of young men in
the program that need leadership right now. It"s important for the
program that the players have someone they can trust and that is on
their side. I"m excited about the players who will continue to play
football at Ohio Northern."
"(Stacey Hairston) is a man of great integrity and I have the
utmost respect for him as a person," said Baker. "We feel
privileged and honored to have someone with his experience and
football knowledge serving as the leader of our young men."
Hairston played defensive back for the Cleveland Browns for three
years after a successful three-year stint with the Saskatchewan
Roughriders of the CFL.
While at Ohio Northern, Hairston set several school records while
playing defensive back and wide receiver. He led the Bears in
receiving in 1987 and 1988 with 515 and 577 yards, respectively,
and led in all-purpose yards in 1988 with 754. His 1,097 receiving
yards is seventh-best in ONU history and his 59 career receptions
is 12th-best at ONU.
