Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 2, 1990                   TAG: 9006020151
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: GREENVILLE, S.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

FORD SAYS HE MIGHT HAVE STAYED

But, Ford said in a news conference, he didn't feel he had a choice.

"It was a situation where a separation was wanted and it was done," he said. "I don't think I had the option of being the coach at Clemson."

Ford refused to characterize his Jan. 18 resignation as forced and would not say why he quit. Former Arkansas coach Ken Hatfield replaced Ford three days after he resigned.

Ford's comments came one day after the NCAA placed the Clemson football program on probation for one year for two major rules violations that involved two players receiving small amounts of money.

It was the second time in eight years the Tigers' program was placed on probation. The NCAA placed Clemson on two years probation in 1982 - one year after the Tigers won the national championship - for numerous rule violations under Charley Pell and Ford.

"Was it a mistake? . . . If I knew everything was going to work out, would [I] do it again? I don't know," Ford said during the news conference at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium. "I think things happened rather quickly at that period of time."

Ford resigned less than two weeks after the NCAA informed Clemson it was conducting an official inquiry into possible rules violations. From the outset, school officials have maintained Ford's resignation and the NCAA probe were separate issues.

An NCAA official said Thursday that Ford's resignation had no impact on the penalties.

Ford hinted that he got caught in an internal power struggle, but he refused to comment specifically.

"I'm not going to sit here and throw darts at anybody," Ford said. "I don't think they're going to throw darts at me."

He did say, however, he did not resign because of the NCAA probe.

Ford said he felt he and his assistant coaches were vindicated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions' report. The committee said Ford was not involved in any of the allegations.

But if Ford returns to coaching in the next five years, it could cost him. Under the settlement he reached with Clemson, Ford will be paid $190,000 a year for up to five years if he doesn't accept a job as a head coach. But Ford said that won't affect his decision on whether to return to the sideline.