Baylor Panel to Hear Another Coach Tape

Investigators looking into allegations of NCAA violations at Baylor University will listen Monday to another audio tape of former basketball coach Dave Bliss in the ever-widening scandal at the school following the death of player Patrick Dennehy.

Richard Guinn recorded a conversation Bliss had Saturday with his son, senior center R.T. Guinn, at their Waco home. Richard Guinn turned his tape over to investigators but wouldn’t disclose the nature of the conversation.

Richard Guinn did say that Bliss at one point apologized to his son, saying, “I’m sorry about the things that happened.”

Kirk Watson, counsel for Baylor’s in-house investigations committee, said he expected the committee to listen to the tape Monday. He said he did not expect to release its contents.

The investigative committee has already heard secretly recorded tapes in which Bliss apparently tried to persuade players and an assistant coach to portray slain Dennehy as a drug dealer.

Those tapes – capturing conversations among Bliss, assistant Abar Rouse and players – indicate Bliss thought the drug story would steer investigators away from allegations the coach had improperly paid for Dennehy’s tuition, an NCAA violation.

Baylor investigator David Guinn, no relation, said Sunday he had locked the latest tape away and had not listened to it.

Dennehy was found shot to death on July 25. An autopsy found no alcohol, opiates, amphetamines or barbiturates in his system, but his body was too decomposed to test for marijuana.

Richard Guinn said Bliss was composed during their meeting.

“He said he was scared of what was coming out on the tapes,” Richard Guinn said. Bliss also brought a tape recorder to the meeting but didn’t say why he wanted to record the conversation.

“I told Bliss we’re not going to lie, we’re not going to cover up, we’re not going to hold back anything,” Richard Guinn said.

Bliss did not return a telephone message left at his home Sunday. Bliss resigned Aug. 8 when the school announced he had been involved in improper tuition payments to two players.

“What we’ve got to do here is create drugs,” Bliss said on one of the first batch of tapes, which were recorded July 30 and 31 and Aug. 1.

Baylor investigators found no evidence Dennehy was involved in drug dealing. Baylor officials have said one unidentified player tried to use the drug story with investigators but he recanted once the tape surfaced.

A former teammate, Carlton Dotson, has been charged with Dennehy’s murder.