Coach, school leaders plan to discuss tirade

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Nolan Richardson and Arkansas chancellor John White will meet to discuss the basketball coach's tirade against the media and critical fans.

University spokeswoman Rebecca Wood said Tuesday she wasn't sure whether the meeting would take place before Richardson and the Razorbacks leave today for a game at Mississippi State.

White wants to talk to Richardson to "see where he is coming from" and that athletic director Frank Broyles may attend the meeting, Wood said.

At a Monday news conference, Richardson said he is closing practices and limiting access to reporters.

"My practices will be closed to the media from this day until I decide when I'll open it again, if I ever open it again while I am still the basketball coach here," he said.

The coach also said he would make himself less available to reporters.

"Do not call me ever on my phone, none of you, at my home ever again. Those lines are no longer for communications with me," Richardson said.

He also expressed disappointment that all of the reporters at the news conference were white.

"When I look at all of you people in this room, I see no one look like me, talk like me or act like me," he said. "Now, why don't you recruit? Why don't the editors recruit like I'm recruiting?"

He said he had different expectations from those of his ancestors.

"My great-great-grandfather came over on the ship, not Nolan Richardson," he said. "I didn't come over on that ship, so I expect to be treated a little bit different.

"Because I know for a fact that I do not play on the same level as the other coaches around this school play on," he continued. "I know that. You know it. And people of my color know that. And that angers me."

The Arkansas coach said he had earned the right to have a season considered subpar by Razorbacks standards. Ark-ansas is 13-13, including 5-9 in the Southeastern Conference. Richardson has led the team to the NCAA tournament in 14 of the last 15 years and to a postseason tournament for 16 straight seasons.