Price Admits To Affair
The student whose affair with former Memphis basketball coach Tic Price cost him his job says she did not try to blackmail him.
At a news conference Tuesday, Price admitted having an affair with Chenoa Douglass, 23, a student at the university.
He said public knowledge of the affair led to his resignation Nov. 14. He said she asked for and received $17,000 from him.
Questioned by reporters in the parking lot of her apartment building, Douglass refused to talk about her relationship with Price.
"I'm not upset about anything," she said. "I'm just ready for it to be over."
Later, her lawyer, Stephen Sauer, issued a comment on her behalf.
"As a result of (Price's) statement, inferences have arisen that Chenoa was involved in extortion or blackmail of Mr. Price," Sauer said. "Chenoa Douglass emphatically denies that she was involved in any form of blackmail or extortion."
Price resigned after two anonymous faxes about the affair were sent to the university and to local news outlets.
The first fax, sent in October, said a student was seen running bleeding from Price's residence Oct. 2. The second fax arrived two days before Price's resignation.
Police in suburban Germantown said they investigated the assault report and decided not to file charges. Police said the woman refused to talk to them and did not file a complaint.
Price refused to elaborate on the $17,000 payment as well as allegations that Douglass was physically assaulted at his home last month.
Price resigned eight days before the Tigers began their season at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. They lost their opening game 71-55 to Georgetown and lost the second game 92-65 to Southern Cal before beating Chaminade 83-65 Wednesday.
Johnny Jones, one of Price's assistants, is interim head coach.
Price was head coach at New Orleans before moving to Memphis in 1997. His teams at Memphis finished 17-12 and 13-15.
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