New Mexico State has announced a conclusion to a months-long investigation into alleged misconduct by Aggies head coach Doug Martin, clearing him of wrongdoing.
The investigation was announced in December, at which time Martin predicted he would be cleared, attributing the complaint to "a single disgruntled parent who has a kid that was not getting to play. They have been threatening me all year long that if their kid didn't play they had friends who could get me fired. They have used racial slurs saying I treat black players better than other players. This will all come out in the end to be false."
The university has released this statement:
"In November of last year, the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New Mexico received a complaint regarding the New Mexico State University football program and its head football coach Doug Martin. In essence, the complaint alleged that Coach Martin engaged in activities that placed his student athletes in peril and in disparate treatment of minority student athletes. At the direction of the Attorney General, this university conducted an extensive and thorough review of each allegation and retained outside counsel, who interviewed every possible witness to the alleged activities and gathered additional evidence. A comprehensive report was prepared, and the university transmitted an executive summary of that report to the Attorney General. As the report concluded, each and every allegation was found to be unsubstantiated. Coach Martin and his staff was found not to have violated any laws, regulations or any university policy and this matter is now closed."
"This scheme to slander me, my family and our football program was a pathetic attempt at revenge because this person's kid didn't play," Martin said this week. "Our staff was harassed all season but we will never be intimidated into playing someone in front of the players that are deserving of playing time. This was an attempt to hurt our recruiting and attack my family. Neither succeeded. Trying to intimidate my wife and daughter by adding their names to this scheme and releasing it to the media tells you all you need to know about this individual's character. Our entire staff being exonerated was never in doubt because we have truth on our side. The best thing for us to do now is reward the people that are loyal to us with another Bowl Game. My attorney, Peter Ginsberg, will handle any legal action we decide to take against this individual and we now consider this matter closed."
Martin, 57, is heading into his eighth season as New Mexico State's head coach.
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