Iowa’s leading rusher hit with pot charge

By John TaylorDec 28, 2010, 2:02 PM EST

Already suspended for the Insight Bowl, Iowa running back Adam Robinson now has an off-field legal issue to deal with as well.

According to the Iowa Press-Citizen, Robinson was cited late Monday night for possession of marijuana following a traffic stop in Des Moines.

The driver was identified as Ermin Zornic, age 20, and the passenger as Adam Robinson, age 21. During his initial approach to the vehicle, the Trooper detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted and marijuana was found inside the vehicle.

Zornic, the driver, was charged with Possession With Intent to Deliver Marijuana and OWI charges are pending toxicology tests. He was incarcerated in the Polk County Jail.

The arrest of Robinson, the Hawkeyes’ leading rusher, adds to a litany of issues that have hit the program of late, with most involving drugs of one kind or another. Iowa’s All-Big Ten wide receiver, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, was arrested on multiple drug charges earlier this month. Amidst rumors that upwards of 20 players had failed drug tests, the school admitted during a December press conference that they had discovered flaws in their drug testing procedures.

That press conference came shortly after it was announced that Robinson had been suspended for violating unspecified team rules, and fellow RB Jewel Hampton had decided to transfer from the school.

Robinson, a junior, led the Hawkeyes with 941 yards rushing and 10 rushing touchdowns this season.

Miami fires offensive coordinator Josh Gattis after 1 season

Associated PressJan 28, 2023, 12:24 AM EST

Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami fired offensive coordinator Josh Gattis on Friday, ending the former Broyles Award winner’s time with the Hurricanes after only one season.

The school announced the move in a one-sentence press release, with no other detail: “Josh Gattis has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator, Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal announced Friday,” read the release, sent from a university spokesman.

The Hurricanes went 5-7 in Gattis’ lone season. He was brought in by Miami only a few weeks after winning the 2021 Broyles Award – given to the nation’s top assistant coach – while serving as Michigan’s offensive coordinator and helping the Wolverines reach the College Football Playoff.

But Miami’s offense, for a number of reasons, failed to meet expectations in 2022. Part of that was injuries; starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke battled a shoulder injury, and the Hurricanes turned to Jake Garcia – who has since transferred – and Jacurri Brown for much of the season.

Miami scored 100 points in its first two games last fall, overpowering Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss. The Hurricanes averaged only 18.3 points the rest of the way, and finished the year 5-0 in games where the defense allowed no more than 14 points – but 0-7 when opponents scored more than 14.

Miami was 86th nationally in total offense last season, averaging 367.1 yards per game, and 97th in scoring offense.

Gattis played at Wake Forest and worked at North Carolina, Western Michigan, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Alabama and Michigan before coming to Miami.

Audit: LSU discovered $1M overpayment to Kelly in 2022

Associated PressJan 26, 2023, 12:27 AM EST

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU accidentally overpaid Tigers football coach Brian Kelly by $1 million during the first year of a 10-year, $100 million contract, but discovered the error and has moved to correct it, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office said Wednesday.

Kelly was overpaid $1,001,368 in supplemental payments in 2022 because duplicate payments made both to Kelly’s LLC and to the coach directly.

The double payments began in May and continued until LSU officials detected the errors in November.

“LSU management and the head football coach have enacted an adjusted payment schedule so the amount of overpayment will be recouped by the conclusion of fiscal year 2023,” the Legislative Auditor’s report stated.

Kelly, who previously coached at Notre Dame for 12 seasons, was hired by LSU after the 2021 season, when the Tigers went 6-7 for its first losing season since 1999.

LSU exceeded expectations in Kelly’s first season in Baton Rouge, winning the SEC West Division and finishing 10-4 after a 63-7 victory over Purdue in the Citrus Bowl.