Gene Stallings and Pat Dye Angrily Defend Themselves on Radio Show

"I tell you one thing. You got an argument that you can't win right here..."

What started several weeks ago as a humorous interview with two former Alabama coaches turned sour in a hurry on the Paul Finebaum radio show this week.

The situation went south after Gene Stallings and Pat Dye were made aware of a remark by former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach in a prior appearance on the show:

"Last time I checked those two fellas were fired too but based on the success that they had, I guess I'm in pretty good company. Although suffice it to say, I didn't get fired for violating NCAA rules."

That led to Stallings directing an offensive toward the radio host:

"Obviously somewhere along the line, Mike Leach said that I was fired because of NCAA violations and that's absolutely not right at all. Nothing could be further from the truth than that.

"It was also reported to me that you said that you knew without a doubt that I was asked to resign. That's not right at all. I just want to make sure that your listeners know what's true and what's not true."

Pat Dye offered a similar response:

"I wasn't fired and a long way from being fired. You'd have to call somebody that's more important than me at Auburn and ask them."

"You could have defended me."

Stallings:

"That's my point also."

When told by the host that he had "sources" to confirm that Stallings was forced out at Alabama, the former coach responded:

"You do not have anybody to back up the fact that I was asked to resign. Nobody even knew I was going to resign. Not one soul other than the president and my family knew that. I resigned at a press conference."

"And I had reasons for resigning. Not a soul even implied that. Had no buyout or nothing."

Dye:

"Just take one thing into consideration and what you're dealing with. Is Coach Stallings welcomed back to Tuscaloosa and Alabama?"

"I tell you one thing. You got an argument that you can't win right here..."

It is true that both Stallings and Dye are in "good standing" with Alabama and Auburn respectively. Stallings has a statue in honor of the national championship won under his watch while the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium is named after Dye.

It is also fact that both left their programs at the tail end of major NCAA investigations. It is also a fact that neither coach was found to have directly committed any wrongdoing.

What is left up to interpretation is the nature of their departures from their universities.

Both technically resigned and apparently do not take kindly to the idea of anyone suggesting they were "fired" or "forced out."

Duly noted... and thanks for the great radio.