Barry Switzer helped the SAE fraternity pack up Monday night.

Consider that for a moment: A Hall of Fame coach assisting one of the most reviled organizations of the moment in closing up their shop.

There was enough emotion surrounding the racist lyrics sung by members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity in the now-infamous video. But now Oklahoma's legendary former coach is part of the story.

"You've got to understand I'm a member of the [SAE] house," Switzer told CBSSports.com Tuesday afternoon. "I helped them pack and get out of the house. ... It was a madhouse over there.

"Most of those kids on that bus [in the video] -- led by whoever -- they were rookies, freshmen. I know what the kids are like in the house. They're not associated with that culture.

"Just young kids getting on a bus and being led by some racist bastard and they all have to pay the price. There are no winners in this thing."

The emotions aren't going to subside anytime soon. Switzer, 77, supports OU president David Boren's move to close the fraternity. That's why Switzer was there Monday frantically helping pack up before the midnight deadline. But he doesn't want the fraternity painted with what he considers a broad brush.

"It's one of those things President Boren had to do, no question about it," Switzer said. "[But] there were a lot of innocent victims. ... It brought so much publicity to our campus. Our campus isn't racist."

Earlier, Switzer released the following statement:

"While I support the University of Oklahoma and SAE’s decision to pursue swift actions, this situation is unfortunate for the many innocent people involved. As a long-time supporter of the University and member of the SAE chapter, I know the majority of our students don’t condone or participate in bigotry. These incidents are not a reflection of the true spirit of our campus.
I hope that we can begin to heal the wounds by avoiding rhetoric that fuels the fire and instead spend more time thinking about how we can collectively create positive relationships and interactions among our campus family."

Switzer is one of only three coaches to win a national championship and a Super Bowl. He spent 16 years at OU and four with the Dallas Cowboys.

The fraternity episode reminded him of his final days as OU's coach. Switzer resigned in 1989 after the football program was put on NCAA probation. Off the field, there were episodes involving sexual assault allegations and weapons.

"It reminds so much of what happened to me in '89, the transgressions by those four or five [Oklahoma] players affected so many innocent victims," Switzer said. "They were great kids. Ninety-nine percent of my kids did the right thing. That's the same thing in regards to this chapter."

Switzer is actually an honorary SAE member. He is close friends with house mother Beaton Gilbow, seen here in an interview next to the former coach. Her deceased husband was a college roommate of Switzer's.

The SAE national office said it is Gilbow on a 2013 vine appearing to repeat rap lyrics from Trinidad James' All Gold Everything video that include the N-word.

"There are terrible lyrics in there," Switzer said. "That's what these kids play. They got her on tape saying those lyrics, laughing about it. It's inappropriate but I support her, I've known her 55 years."

Switzer, 77, probably should weigh in. Part of his coaching legacy is that of a champion to minorities. He recruited African-Americans at a time when the sport was still being integrated. How he identified with their plight was described by author Bud Shrake in his fine Switzer biography Bootlegger's Boy.

In 1972, Kerry Jackson broke the color barrier at the position for OU and was one of the Big Eight's first African-American quarterbacks.

"Nobody can question me about what I've done for minorities," Switzer said. "I was playing black quarterbacks before anyone else was recruiting black players."

It hurt Switzer to see that video. It encouraged him to see the current Oklahoma players walk Monday in solidarity. But he fears the situation isn't over.

There will be negative recruiting, he said, because rivals will seize upon anything to sway a prospect.

"Yes, the opponents will use it against us," Switzer said. "No question."

Four-star recruit Jean Delance has already decommitted because of the video.