Former Mullen head coach Dave Logan
DENVER - Former Mullen High School football coach Dave Logan's name is not listed among the staff members accused of recruiting violations in a document sent to the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) and in a sit-down interview with 9NEWS, Logan said he was never told about any suspicions of recruiting violations.
When asked if he was ever asked about recruiting violations, Logan said: "Not one time in nine years."
CHSAA governs high school athletics in Colorado.
In the one-on-one interview with 9Wants to Know investigator Kyle Clark, Logan said he would have fired his coaches if he had heard about any violations.
"Fired, absolutely," Logan said.
Logan says neither he nor his coaches ever went to parents or students for the purposes of recruiting.
"Absolutely not," he said.
Logan also spoke at a news conference on Thursday and admitted that several eighth graders were going to eat a meal with the team, but were denied. If they were allowed to eat with the team, it could be viewed as a form of recruiting.
"If that had happened, we would have had to open up the food to every prospective Mullen student. And it was, 'Hey, let's make sure,' the message was - 'Let's make sure that this doesn't happen,'" Logan said.
During a meeting with Mullen parents on Wednesday, CEO/President Ryan Clement told them: "Earlier today, [Principal] Jim Gmelich notified the governing authorities at the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) of recruiting violations committed by members of Coach Logan's staff. Unfortunately, there is evidence of other violations."
Clement did not give any details on the alleged violations.
Logan was abruptly fired from his job as head coach of the Mustangs Jan. 11. At the time, both he and Clement said he was fired because he was not able to spend enough time at the school.
"I was told that I had become the face of the school and I don't think they were comfortable with that, and frankly, I'm not real comfortable with that either," Logan told 9NEWS.
Mullen said Thursday the violations were brought up during his exit interview with the school. He was asked if he was aware that eighth graders were on the sidelines during the game.
"I said, 'No, I was not aware of that at all,'" Logan said at his news conference.
In his interview with 9NEWS, Logan also addressed why these allegations have only recently surfaced.
"I think it has been a tough period for everybody," he said.
Logan then admitted he was trying to be polite.
"Listen, I'm a big believer in doing things the right way and you take the high road," he said. "It's my credibility. It's my name. My name's on that."
"For 19 years I've conducted myself with honesty and integrity. I have not been unethical. I have not done illegal things. I have not done immoral things," Logan told 9NEWS. "I know what the truth is. I know what reality is with all this and we'll go from there."
CHSAA investigation
9NEWS spoke with CHSAA Commissioner Paul Angelico and he said there are two reported violations and both are relatively minor.
"It's a very short packet there were two self reported violations that left me with more questions than answers quite frankly," Angelico said. "The violation that I saw that eighth graders were on the sideline and then shooed off the sideline may or may not be a violation. I have to find out how that got there is more important than the fact that they were there."
He says Logan's name is not mentioned.
"First of all, Dave's name is nowhere on the complaint, so if he's attached to it, it's because he was the head coach of a program where one of his assistants may have violated a bylaw," Angelico said. "It does not say Dave Logan did this."
He also says the ruling by the CHSAA could take up to two months.
"I have to sit down with the school and ask a bunch of questions," Angelico said. "The infraction is just the start. Now we have to figure out how that all came about before we make any final determinations what the ramifications will be."
"How long it takes to get the right answer is immaterial, getting the right answer is all that is important to me," Angelico said. "We will go wherever we have to go and take as long as we have to take to get this figured out."
Other responses to allegations
Thursday, Logan's longtime defensive coordinator, Jeff Braun, continued to deny the allegations and asked for an apology from Clement.
"I have a hard time even saying his name," Braun said. "But I think there should be an apology, because you don't attack people's character. If you had a reason for doing something, stand up and say it. Don't come out a week later and say, 'This is what it is now.'"
Braun says he was unaware of any alleged violations.
"I would say there are no recruiting violations," he said. "The accusations are just a way for them to try to remove some good people, trying now to make up an excuse of why people aren't there anymore."
Clement released a statement on Thursday afternoon.
"Doing the right thing sometimes also means admitting when you haven't handled something particularly well, or even well at all. The word is ownership, and when mistakes are made, leadership means taking responsibility. My handling of the communication and outreach efforts to the Mullen family and the general public in the immediate aftermath of our decision to part company with our coach was handled poorly, a mishandling that made an already difficult decision more so," Clement said in the statement. "As the president and CEO of Mullen, I take ownership for these communications inadequacies, and I take very seriously the charge to improve. This, Mullen family, is not lip service. I've heard from you."
Click here to read Clement's entire statement.
Many parents and students were upset over Logan's sudden dismissal. Students protested the day after it was announced.
Former Mullen quarterback Tim Tancik's parents defended Logan's ethics and his behavior on and off the field. Tancik led Mullen to a football state title in 2008.
"I was the type of parent that went to practice at least three to four times a week. I saw no recruiting efforts," Tancik's father, David, said.
"It was the coach's character Tim really seemed to enjoy," he said. "We enjoyed Tim being around that kind of character."
Former Mullen quarterbacks coach Dick Giarratano told 9NEWS he heard of no allegations of violations before they came out Wednesday.
"It's like receiving the death penalty for a speeding ticket," Giarratano said.
Logan had an overall record of 110-12 and coached the Mustangs to three state football championships. He was also named the 2010 Colorado High School Coach of the Year.
In his last season, the Mustangs finished 9-3 overall and ended fourth in the state.
Logan hosts an afternoon radio program on 850 KOA and also does the play-by-play for the Denver Broncos games.
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