Neuheisel disputes boss’ past testimony

KENT, Wash. – Rick Neuheisel firmly disputed trial testimony by his University of Washington boss, who told jurors two weeks ago the football coach was warned in early 2003 that his lies couldn’t be tolerated.

Neuheisel also insisted Tuesday, during his third full day on the stand in his King County Superior Court lawsuit against Washington and the NCAA, that then-athletic director Barbara Hedges knew he had spoken with the San Francisco 49ers in February 2003 about the team’s head coaching job.

He explained that he indicated “in code” to Hedges that he had interviewed for the job by saying, one day after the interview: “Barbara, all you need to know is that I was in San Francisco playing golf.”

Neuheisel contends Washington administrators wrongfully fired him in June 2003 under pressure from the NCAA.

He spent the entire day under cross-examination by university lawyer Lou Peterson.

Jurors also listened to two radio show interviews, one from Feb. 10, 2003, in which Neuheisel denied interviewing for the 49ers’ job, and another from Feb. 13, in which he admitted he had lied and apologized.

School officials maintain Neuheisel was told after the 49ers’ incident that more lies wouldn’t be tolerated. They said he was fired for gambling on NCAA basketball and for initially lying about the gambling when questioned by NCAA investigators. He told the truth to the investigators later the same day.

Neuheisel is asking jurors to decide who they’re going to believe. As the trial’s first witness, Hedges said Neuheisel was clearly advised he was facing a serious issue after the 49ers’ episode.

Yet during his turn on the stand, Neuheisel insisted otherwise.

“I had not lied to Barbara. She knew” about the 49ers’ interview, he said.

Neuheisel also flatly rejected Peterson’s suggestion that he was advised in mid-February 2003 by then-university president Lee Huntsman that administrators would hold him to a high ethical standard.