Switzer Says He Warned Thompson of Investigation

Football Coach Barry Switzer of the University of Oklahoma warned quarterback Charles Thompson that the FBI was investigating him for allegedly selling cocaine, and said he was looking out for the university’s football program when he did so.

“I can’t worry about their investigation,” Switzer was quoted as saying in Friday’s editions of the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman. “I had to be more concerned about the OU football program. That’s a hell of a note . . . for them to sit back and not let anyone know what’s going on. I had to act on what was in the best interest of our program. If they had come to me and cooperated . . . no one ever contacted me.”

Switzer did not say where he got his information but said: “I just had a source that told me definitely, for a fact, that they had him, had him taped, bugged . . . set up. When I confronted the kid he told me the truth, cooperated totally. I acted on that.”

The coach suspended Thompson from the team Monday and ordered him out of the athletic dormitory. Thompson was arrested later Monday on a complaint of selling 17 grams of cocaine to an undercover FBI agent.

The Oklahoma football program is reeling from a series of felony charges against five athletes--the most recent being the charge against Thompson.

Authorities have said the arrest of Thompson was premature and that it hampered their investigation of drug trafficking in Norman, the university city.

Apparently, however, Switzer is in no immediate trouble with the authorities.

U.S. Attorney Bill Price said Thursday: “There is no federal criminal investigation for obstruction of justice,” and, “There is no investigation of Barry Switzer.”

Switzer said his information “came from people I believed in, and they knew what they were talking about.”

David Swank, the university’s interim president, said Thursday that he had no idea where Switzer had heard about allegations against Thompson.

Swank said that Switzer is in no immediate danger of losing the job he has held for 16 years but indicated that the recent problems with football players might have left the veteran coach on thin ice.

Thompson’s arrest occurred after a month of turmoil in which one Oklahoma football player was arrested for allegedly wounding another in a shooting in the athletic dormitory, and three players were charged in the alleged rape of a woman in the same dorm.

In December, the Oklahoma football program was put on probation for three years by the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. for recruiting violations.

“At the present time I am not going to ask for the termination of Mr. Switzer’s contract,” Swank said. “I am going to rely on the athletic director and the football coach to get these problems solved. Now, if they can’t, we’re going to have to look at other solutions.”

According to the FBI, Thompson went to the Norman office of lawyer Robert L. (Buddy) Pendarvis after Switzer had suspended him Monday and told the attorney he was concerned about what Switzer had told him.

Pendarvis said that at Thompson’s request, he called the player’s parents and then called the Cleveland County district attorney’s office, and was referred to the FBI.

Authorities said they do not believe Switzer intended to interfere with the investigation.

Said Swank: “We’ve had a great athletic tradition at the university, and I’m not saying we haven’t become a little lax in what we’ve done as a result of that.”