Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich denied a report that Tennessee was interested in making him their next athletic director.
Volquest.com, a website devoted to Tennessee athletics, reported Friday that the Volunteers were interested in hiring Radakovich as their athletic director until the NCAA report came out Thursday in which the Yellow Jackets were stripped of their 2009 ACC championship in football, put on four years’ probation and fined $100,000. In the report, the NCAA said that Tech tried to manipulate player interviews with investigators and that Radakovich had improper conversations with football coach Paul Johnson regarding an on-going investigation.
Radakovich’s name has been linked in the past to many openings, including the AD job at Miami.
“I don’t know where this comes from,” Radakovich said. “I’ve never spoken to Tennessee. I’ve got enough on my plate here. I wish them well with whatever they are looking to do.”
To eliminate any nuance, Radakovich said that neither he nor anyone representing him has spoken to Tennessee, or anyone representing the Vols, about any position in Knoxville.
Radakovich said Thursday that he is entrenched in Atlanta and hopes to work at Tech for as long as President G.P. Peterson will allow.
Bilbo banned
In addition to banning former Tech quarterback Calvin Booker from on-campus facilities and from receiving complimentary tickets, Tech also banned former player Damarius Bilbo. Bilbo works for Demaryius Thomas’ agent, Todd France, as the director of recruiting.
Bilbo was not accused by the NCAA or by Tech of violating any rules. The only mention of him in any document related to the investigation was the fact that Tech had banned him from using facilities or receiving complimentary tickets as a self-imposed punitive action.
Asked why they took the curious step, Radakovich said the disassociation was simply precautionary because of Bilbo’s job. The ban took effect Nov. 19, 2009, when Thomas was first interviewed by the NCAA. It hasn’t been lifted.
Bilbo didn’t know that Tech had banned him, something that he said offended him because he has registered as an agent with the state and with Tech’s compliance office. He said he would never do anything to jeopardize the players or their eligibility.
“They could have reached out to me,” he said. “I graduated. I’ve never been in any trouble there. I stayed there [during a coaching and position change] and made a commitment to Georgia Tech. If they want to disassociate themselves with me for nothing, that’s up to Georgia Tech. It’s unfortunate.
“I work with a different type of agency. Just because we are in a bad business doesn’t mean we are bad people. I can help these kids.”
Booker’s name appears throughout Georgia Tech’s response to the NCAA. He allegedly was at the apartment when Thomas received $312 in clothes. Tech thought Booker might have a relationship with an agent, Richard Kopleman, based upon something Thomas speculated during an interview.
Booker denied that he was an employee or associate in the report. Kopelman has also denied that Booker was an employee or associate.
An attempt to reach Booker on his cellphone Friday was unsuccessful.
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