Cass Tech coach Wilcher believes Weber burned by OSU coach's departure
The controversy over Ohio State running backs coach Stan Drayton leaving for the NFL one day after signing day for college recruits isn't going to go away quickly.
Detroit Cass Tech football coach Thomas Wilcher won't let it.
Wilcher strongly believes that his star player, running back Mike Weber, got burned by the Buckeyes because he wasn't informed of Drayton's intentions before signing his official letter of intent on Wednesday.
Weber tweeted Thursday that he was "hurt as hell" after hearing that Drayton, who recruited him and was supposed to be his position coach, is leaving.
Wilcher, a former Michigan running back, said he doesn't blame Drayton for taking a job with the Chicago Bears.
He blames Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer for not being open about the situation before Weber signed.
"That's where it starts -- at the top," Wilcher said Friday during an interview with Matt Dery on Detroit radio station 105.1-FM.
"He comes to Detroit and he comes to these schools. I'm not saying he's not an honest person, but you want to believe in your whole heart whatever he's saying to you, whatever he's doing."
Weber, whose decision on whether to go to Ohio State or arch-rival Michigan apparently came down to the final hours before signing, is the second straight consensus No. 1 recruit from the state of Michigan to sign with the Buckeyes.
A year ago, Meyer snatched cornerback Damon Webb from Cass Tech.
Defensive lineman Joshua Alabi, a three-star recruit from Cass Tech, also signed with Ohio State this year.
Asked whether he will try to keep Meyer from recruiting his players in the future, Wilcher said,
"I think Urban Meyer will have to step his game up. He's going to have to come down here, we're going to have to talk, we're going to have to meet.
"He cannot come over here, come up to the north, and walk out of here with your pockets full and not give us respect.
"You have to respect us. You can't just walk all over us. That's not going to happen again. I can tell you that right now."
Wilcher said he had talked to an Ohio State assistant coach about the situation but not yet with Meyer.
"I'm really waiting to see if he calls me," Wilcher said.
