Clay-Chalkville coach fights allegations
Robi Coker hadn't coached a game yet, and already the new Clay-Chalkville High School basketball coach was at a loss.
It was bad enough that the Alabama High School Athletic Association was investigating whether the transfers of his two high-profile players, DeMarcus Cousins from Erwin and Christian Watford from Hewitt-Trussville, were legitimate.
It got worse when the AHSAA also started looking into allegations that Coker had recruited DeMarcus Cousins and Watford to leave their old schools.
It's a serious charge, especially against a 25-year-old who was hired for his first head coaching job in May.
"I knew I was innocent," Coker said, "but I didn't know how to handle the situation."
He found someone who did. About two weeks ago, Coker hired Montgomery lawyer Donald Jackson to represent him.
Jackson also maintained his client's innocence.
"I can say unconditionally that he was not involved in any recruitment of these student-athletes," Jackson said. "There's no basis for any allegations of recruitment."
Both Coker and Jackson said they don't know who made the recruiting allegations against Coker and may never find out.
"I understand the High School Athletic Association's position," Jackson said. "They want to protect the integrity of high school sports. I think they're in a fact-finding phase right now, and they want to be sure there was no recruiting going on."
DeMarcus Cousins has been rated by recruiting services as one of the top five prospects in the nation in the Class of 2009, and Watford has been ranked in the top 50 in that class.
Their transfers to a school without much basketball tradition created a buzz in the basketball community.
Coker said he became aware of the allegations that he had recruited the two players after the AHSAA asked him to turn over a large volume of documents, including his phone records dating back two years.
Jackson said Coker "has been fully co-operative with the high school athletic association and given them everything they need" but has not turned over phone records that predate his employment at Clay-Chalkville.
"They don't have any authority over his life before he started working at Clay-Chalkville," Jackson said.
Steve Savarese, AHSAA executive director, couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday. He said last month that he would have no comment on whether the AHSAA was investigating the transfers of DeMarcus Cousins and Watford.
Clay-Chalkville principal Steve Laney said Tuesday that the school is waiting for the final ruling from the AHSAA about those transfers but, as far as the school's concerned, the transfers are legitimate.
DeMarcus Cousins and Watford, Laney said, "had everything they needed to be enrolled. Or else they wouldn't be here."
Jackson said he understands the AHSAA has visited the new residences of DeMarcus Cousins and Watford "to make sure they live where they say they live."
"If the families of these players have made bona fide moves - and it's my understanding they have - there's no basis for any allegations of recruitment," Jackson said. "Hopefully, this will be resolved soon."
Coker said he's looking forward to putting this investigation behind him and starting practice next month, with DeMarcus Cousins and Watford on the roster.
"My goal is to be a high school coach for 30 years," Coker said. "This (allegation) is questioning my character. I don't stand for that."
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