Steve Alford Issues Apology for Handling of Pierre Pierce Incident While at the University of Iowa

Steve Alford has issued a mea culpa about Pierre Pierce.

According to the Los Angeles Times Alford released a public apology about his conduct in defending Pierce, a former University of Iowa basketball player who was accused of sexually abusing a fellow student before pleading down to a lower charge.

Alford has come under scrutiny for this incident from his past after hitting the Los Angeles media market upon leaving his position as coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos to take the head gig for the UCLA Bruins.

UCLA Coach Steve Alford apologizes for comments on Pierre Pierce (Los Angeles Times)

Alford was asked about Pierce at his introductory news conference at UCLA last week. Said Alford: “I just followed everything the University of Iowa told me to do.” Asked whether university officials instructed him to proclaim Pierce’s innocence at Big Ten media day, Alford said, “There wasn’t anything done at that point.”

On Thursday, Alford released a statement, saying: “At that time, I instinctively and mistakenly came to his defense before knowing all the facts. I wanted to believe he was innocent, and in response to a media question, I publically proclaimed his innocence before the legal system had run its course.  This was inappropriate, insensitive and hurtful, especially to the young female victim involved, and I apologize for that. I have learned and grown from that experience and now understand that such proclamations can contribute to an atmosphere in which similar crimes go unreported and victims are not taken seriously.”

The apology comes after Alford came under criticism for defending his actions still during his introductory news conference at UCLA on April 2 (Alford talks Pierre Pierce, Iowa at UCLA introduction Des Moines Register)

Alford's apology, received the backing of UCLA's athletic director, and appears to be targeted more at soothing the troubled waters at his new job rather than making amends at the University of Iowa, where he served as coach from 1999 to 2007, and where the incident occurred and fractured the fanbase and university community at large in 2002.

UCLA, Steve Alford issue statement to address Pierre Pierce criticism

In 2002, Alford came to the defense of Pierre Pierce, the Hawkeye player accusedof the above crime, saying numerous times that Pierce was innocent. J. Patrick White, the prosecutor in the case, said Alford’s repeated claims were a key factor in White’s decision to settle for a plea-bargain deal, the Orange County Register reported.

Pierce did not serve any jail time as part of the plea and later apologized for “inappropriate sexual conduct with a fellow student.”

"What upset me at the time (with Alford) was that he had continued to preach Pierce's innocence in very public settings ... and that it was incorrect and that there was evidence that proved that it was incorrect," White told the Orange County Register. "And this was very hurtful to the victim. It was very hurtful to the victim to read in the paper that Steve Alford, even with evidence of the assault by Pierce, continued proclaiming (Pierce's) innocence."