Former UCF assistant: George O’Leary isn’t racist

It has been a tough few days for Central Florida Knights’ head coach George O’Leary.

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Paul Ferraro, who served as UCF’s defensive coordinator for a brief time earlier in the year (December-March), accused O’Leary of “permeated by bullying, threatening behavior, and repeated discriminatory epithets,” claiming that O’Leary is racist. Ferraro alleges that O’Leary called the NFL “one big ‘Ru-Ru’ tribe” and that they need to check African-American players “to make sure their gums are blue, because they are bigger, faster and stronger than (African-American players) with red gums.”

Another former assistant has come to O’Leary’s defense.

Former UCF wide receivers’ coach David Kelly, who is an African-American

“I never have heard (O’Leary) say anything that could be interpreted as derogatory, degrading, or slightly disrespectful regarding any race, or sect of people,” Kelly told FOX Sports. “George O’Leary is a lot of things to a lot of people, I’m sure, but a racist he is not.”

Kelly, however, was not on the staff with with Ferraro – Kelly resigned in 2011 among a cloud of controversy.

“Obviously I wasn’t present during any of the interchanges that he had with Paul at UCF, and mind you that Paul is a friend of mine, but I’m absolutely shocked at the allegations, and suggestions about George O’Leary making comments of that sort.”

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