Report: Former UCF assistant defends George O'Leary against racism accusations

David Kelly, an African-American who served as an assistant under head coach George O'Leary at both UCF and Georgia Tech, is not buying Paul Ferraro's accusations that O'Leary is a racist.

"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 on Wednesday. "George O'Leary is a lot of things to a lot of people, I'm sure, but a racist he is not."

Ferraro, a former UCF coach, alleges in a lawsuit that O'Leary used racist remarks, and "created a work environment that was permeated by bullying, threatening behavior, and repeated discriminatory epithets by O'Leary."

"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," claimed Kelly. "But I'm absolutely shocked at the allegations, and suggestions about George O'Leary making comments of that sort."