BLISS APOLOGIZED TO PLAYER THE MORNING AFTER SCHEME REVEALED

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Baylor University's former basketball coach apologized
to one of the players he tried to enlist in a scheme to cover up alleged
NCAA violations by accusing a slain player of dealing drugs, the player's
father said Sunday.

Former coach Dave Bliss met with R.T. Guinn on Saturday, Richard Guinn said.
The meeting at the player's home came the day after secretly recorded
audiotapes revealed Bliss had tried to use players and an assistant coach in
an attempt to portray Patrick Dennehy as a drug dealer.

Richard Guinn refused to disclose the nature of the conversation, but said
Bliss told his son: "I'm sorry about the things that happened."

The player's father said Bliss brought a tape recorder to the meeting
Saturday. Richard Guinn said he also recorded the meeting and gave his copy
to Baylor investigators.

"I'm upset that he tried to use R.T. in his scheme," Richard Guinn told The
Associated Press.

Guinn said Bliss planned to visit another player, Harvey Thomas, the same
day. Thomas' live-in fiancee told The Dallas Morning News that Bliss knocked
on their door but they did not answer. Thomas did not return a telephone
message seeking comment Sunday.

The secretly recorded tapes of conversations between Bliss, assistant Abar
Rouse and players show Bliss thought the drug story would steer
investigators away from allegations the coach had improperly paid for
Dennehy's tuition, an NCAA violation.

Bliss's cover-up attempt was revealed Friday when Rouse gave the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram a copy of his tapes.

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 tapes.

Bliss said Dennehy couldn't deny the allegations because he was dead.

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.

Baylor investigators found no evidence Dennehy was involved in drug dealing.

Richard Guinn said Bliss remained composed during the meeting.

"He said he was scared of what was coming out on the tapes," Richard Guinn
said. Bliss 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.

Bill Underwood, a member of the Baylor investigating committee, said he had
not heard Guinn's tape and could not comment on its contents. He said the
panel was conducting more interviews on Sunday.

Baylor officials have said one unidentified player tried to use the Dennehy
drug dealing story with investigators but he recanted once the tape
surfaced.

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