Coach Goes on Leave : Northwestern’s Byrdsong Requests Break After Wildcats’ Eighth Consecutive Loss

Northwestern Coach Ricky Byrdsong, who went into the stands at the University of Minnesota to shake hands with fans during his team’s eighth consecutive loss last weekend, asked for and received an indefinite leave of absence Monday.

Athletic Director Rick Taylor said assistant Paul Swanson will replace Byrdsong, in his first year at Northwestern.

Taylor, appointed last month, said a university official he would not identify had spoken with Byrdsong.

“It’s very difficult to describe. It’s basically a matter of motivation that Ricky was trying to get to the team,” said Taylor, who said he wasn’t sure why Byrdsong asked for the leave.

Taylor met with Byrdsong for about a half hour last Thursday but said he had no indication something was wrong.

“You’re asking me to determine the extent of a problem, if there is a problem, and I’m not qualified to do that,” Taylor said.

Byrdsong spent most of the time during Saturday’s 79-65 loss in a chair off the end of the Northwestern bench while assistants ran the team. Twice he went onto the floor to argue calls and was assessed a technical foul.

In the second half, Byrdsong twice went into the stands and began shaking hands with fans. When he attempted to sit in an aisle, an usher asked him to return to his chair.