<p>I’ve never referred to college athletes as thugs. There are too many well-rounded college athletes to cast such a wide net. </p>
<p>Yes, Coach Dooley was speaking about the culture within the Univ. of Tenn. athletics.
However, it’s a very logical assumption that the culture he speaks of is not limited to the Univ. of Tenn. </p>
<p>My hope for the future of college athletics is for college administrations to strongly back coaches when it comes to dealing with and following through with consequences when college athletes are not adhering to their college’s Honor Code (or the standards of the law for that matter). Hopefully, the old days of turning a blind eye to such behavior for the sake of a win and a championship will be no more.</p>