Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 5, 1994 TAG: 9402050168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: JACKSONVILLE,FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Former Florida football coach Charley Pell, ousted in an NCAA probe nearly a decade ago, is suffering from depression but should quickly recover from the mood that led him to try to kill himself, his doctor says.
"We are dealing with a medical problem and I feel very optimistic," Dr. Carl S. Burak, a psychiatrist at Baptist Medical Center, said at a news conference Friday. "Charley Pell has a habit of landing on his feet. I feel his prognosis is very good."
Pell, 52, attempted suicide Wednesday evening by running a hose from his car's exhaust pipe through the passenger window. Pell was found by state trooper Malcolm Jowers, the head of the Gator football team security and a close friend, after the former coach left him a suicide note and map of where to find his body.
In the 1974-75 football seasons, Pell was an assistant coach at Virginia Tech. He was the defensive line coach in 1974 and was the assistant head coach, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator in 1975.
Pell has no lasting effects from his exposure to carbon monoxide, the doctor said.
"He has been given a clean bill of health," Burak said.
Burak said he expected Pell to be released from the hospital in a few days. Common treatment for depression, he said, is "dealing with the stresses in someone's life and dealing with the appropriate medication."
Burak and Pell's wife, Ward, who released a statement, said Pell's depression was due to "professional setbacks since departing the University of Florida."
"That was the area Charley has been focusing on," Burak said.
The physician said Pell and his family agreed to the news conference because of the many calls of concern about the former coach.
"He wanted everyone to know he is really OK. I sincerely wish we could have handled this with the traditional privacy," Burak said.
Pell never was treated in the hospital's psychiatric ward and has not been institutionalized. Pell has not previously been treated for the illness, Burak said.
Pell's wife, in a short statement, said: "Charley did make an attempt on his life, and fortunately, it was unsuccessful. He is physically fine and will be treated for this state of depression, which is the result of several professional setbacks since departing the University of Florida. The Pell family is committed to the treatment of this medical illness and genuinely appreciates the concern of so many friends and supporters."
Pell, one of the most successful coaches in Gator history, was forced to resign in 1984 during an NCAA investigation into widespread recruiting violations.
When he left coaching, he started his own insurance company in Tampa. In 1991, he and his wife moved his TeamStaff management firm to Jacksonville.
Randy Reese, who coached swimming at Florida during Pell's tenure, said he knew Pell always wanted to return to football.
"The bottom line is the guy wants to do one thing, and that's coach football, and that's been made impossible to be able to do," Reese said.
In 1979, Pell's first season at Florida, the Gators went 0-10-1. In 1980, he led the Gators to a turnaround 8-4 mark and was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year.
by CNB