Earle Bruce has vowed to fight allegations of "intimidation and fear" that led to his dismissal as Colorado State's head football coach.
Bruce, whose firing was announced Monday by Colorado State president Al Yates and athletic director Corey Johnson at a news conference at the school, spoke to reporters at a nearby hotel minutes after the official announcement.Bruce, who at times he had to choke back tears, openly defied Yates' demand to resign and defended his actions during four years as the Rams' coach.
"I can't believe (my job) is going to be snuffed out by some guy by the name of Corey Johnson and Al Yates. I can't believe that. I don't want to believe that," Bruce shouted, his voice quivering with emotion.
"I'm sorry, but that's how I feel. I can't believe the problems are so big that they couldn't be solved."
Bruce, 62, who finished this season with a 5-7 record and a 22-24-1 mark in four seasons, had two years remaining on his contract.
"I'm an intense guy, and I love to coach football, but it was never my intention to hurt kids or the football program," he said.
He has been accused of physically and verbally abusing his players - a violation of university policy and a breach of his contractual agreement.
"Yes, I've grabbed facemasks and have gotten after players," he said. "If I have done anything wrong, I apologize. But I want you to know that I don't think I've done anything that is cause for dismissal."
Yates said an investigation into Bruce's conduct was launched as a result of rumors about the football program, "suggesting a situation existed that put the university at great risk and enhanced our liability considerably."
More than a dozen faculty, student and staff members corroborated the alleged violations, Yates said.
Some players defended Bruce's coaching tactics.
"Sometimes he'd get in my face and make me hear stuff I didn't want to hear. For me, that's a challenge to make me a better player," quarterback Anthoney Hill said Monday.
Bruce was Ohio State's head coach from 1979 to 1987, when he was fired. He coached at Northern Iowa for one year before coming to Colorado State in 1989. His career record is 154-80-2 over 21 years.