South Carolina Fires Athletic Director

Bob Marcum, athletic director at the University of South Carolina, was fired Tuesday after a task force found the school had not conducted random drug testing of athletes since the spring of 1986.

Team physician Dr. Paul Akers also has been relieved of his duties and “termination proceedings are being instituted,” school President James Holderman said at a news conference Tuesday.

“While there is no reason to conclude from the report that a drug problem exists in Carolina’s athletic department, the findings show that we do not have an effective drug-testing program,” Holderman said.

Holderman also said the task force found at least one player who tested positive for drugs three times but was not discharged.

Under the school’s present program, an athlete testing positive three times for drugs is to be kicked off the team.

Holderman said that Marcum and Akers “misrepresented” the drug-testing program to him, other school officials and the public.

Asked if Marcum lied, Holderman said: “I don’t know whether lie is appropriate.” He did say that he had not been informed of the lack of testing.

Marcum, 51, was appointed athletic director by Holderman in January, 1982, after serving in the same post at Kansas.