NACOGDOCHES- The last 48 hours have been quite a whirlwind for the Stephen F. Austin State University football team. On Monday, head coach Clint Conque was suspended pending an investigation into alleged violations of university policy. On Tuesday, Jeff Byrd was named the interim head coach. On Wednesday, SFA held a press conference for Byrd to address the media.
More than a dozen media outlets were inside of the Lawton Room of the Athletics Fieldhouse Wednesday afternoon for the press conference. While Byrd had no opening statement, he answered questions from the media for about 15 minutes.
"The entire time you're coaching a team you're talking about adversity...and basically what we're trying to do is business as usual," stated Coach Byrd.
In regards to the allegations surrounding Conque, apparently the whole team was caught of guard with it. Byrd emphasized that he just wants to focus on leading the players.
"What I know is what you reported, and basically that's what the kids were told," Byrd explained. "The most important thing was taking care of these players because they're still young men and we can help them grow."
Conque's investigation is expected to last several weeks. The Lumberjacks open up their season Sept. 1 at Mississippi State.