Curry Quits Alabama, Appears Headed for Kentucky

Alabama football Coach Bill Curry announced Sunday he is leaving the Crimson Tide amid reports he is heading for Kentucky.

Curry, who spent three controversial seasons at Alabama, told Kentucky Athletic Director C.M. Newton that he will coach the Wildcats, a Lexington television station reported.

Curry, the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, told Alabama Athletic Director Cecil (Hootie) Ingram and then his players and staff of his decision to leave.

“I feel if someone’s not comfortable, maybe it’s best to change situations,” Ingram said. “I’m sorry this thing got blown up so big. Nobody at this university tried to run anybody off.”

Ingram said that Curry will reveal his future plans later. It is strongly believed by people at Alabama that Curry will take the Kentucky job, where Jerry Claiborne recently resigned.

WKYT-TV in Lexington attributed the report to an unidentified source, who also said Newton was in Tuscaloosa.

Ingram said he expects to have a coaching staff in place at Alabama by the end of the week, that the new coach does not necessarily have to have ties with Alabama, but “it won’t hurt them a whole lot.”

Asked if Curry’s successor would be a big-name coach, Ingram said, “It’s going to be a big name to me.”

Curry arrived in Lexington on Sunday night and told WLEX-TV, “We’re up here to meet with C.M. and other officials and hammer something out.”

Louisville Coach Howard Schnellenberger, who had been mentioned in reports along with others as a possible successor to Curry, said Sunday night he wouldn’t be interested in the job.

Alabama trustee Aaron Aronov said earlier he thought Curry’s support at Alabama “has been diluted” by his public interest in Kentucky. He said Curry created problems for himself with an inaccurate perception that he lacked support at Alabama.