School to Probe Charges Against Football Coach

PRAIRIE VIEW, Tex. — Prairie View A&M;’s president says he will launch an internal investigation into allegations by striking football players who claim the head coach is blocking their education.

University President Percy Pierre decided to investigate the claims after meeting with 55 football players in a closed meeting Tuesday night.

“Specifically, this investigation will consider any possible violations of university rules and/or NCAA rules,” Pierre said.

The players, who began their walkout last week, have vowed to remain on strike until Haney Catchings is fired as the Panthers’ head coach.

No Deadline

“We will take the appropriate action based on what we find through the investigation,” said Pierre, who added that no deadline on the investigation has been set.

Striking players have charged that Catchings has stymied their academic growth during his 1 1/2 years as head coach. Players also claim that Catchings, 38, put them through unsafe drills, held frequent six-hour practices and threatened to suspend scholarship funds if athletes did not produce on the field.

Catchings led the Panthers to a 5-5 record last season, their best finish in 12 years. Prairie View, a predominantly black university, is about 75 miles northwest of Houston.