Beth Sullivan making headlines at UT

well actually wrote:

IT'S A BUSINESS. This is not Division III athletics.

Considering the tremendous loss that UT absorbs through its track & field program (including the million dollar contract for BAS), if this were actually a business it would have been bankrupt long ago...rather than Beth and her recent morally bankrupt decision making.

well actually wrote:

I think a lot but thanks for your snarky condescending remark, really makes you look good.

Yes, absolutely all 6 could have been problems in a variety of ways. They were not all necessarily cut for the same reasons.

No explanation of any type is required for the three walk on's and for the three scholarship kids there are a variety of reasons she may have decided to move on, including perceived potential to help Tennessee with NCAA titles.

Could she be wrong? Absolutely. But it's her program and her call.

If they are kicking butt in a couple of years everyone will say she is a genius.

IT'S A BUSINESS. This is not Division III athletics.

You must be the only one defending this idiotic decision.

Who is the bad guy in this situation? Six athletes who haven't even gotten to compete yet. Or the new coach. Hmmm. TOUGH ONE.

But yes, let's make assumptions to support the coach. I'm sure it's likely that SIX DIFFERENT ATHLETES all had some sort of behavior problem that warranted dismissal from the team.

This is BS. Other coaches from SEC schools have gone on record stating they've never seen a coach do this... ever. It's not illegal, but it does lack class.http://www.knoxnews.com/govolsxtra/other-sports/parents-angered-after-daughters-tennessee-track-careers-come-to-abrupt-end_66250381

well actually wrote:

I think a lot but thanks for your snarky condescending remark, really makes you look good.

Yes, absolutely all 6 could have been problems in a variety of ways. They were not all necessarily cut for the same reasons.

No explanation of any type is required for the three walk on's and for the three scholarship kids there are a variety of reasons she may have decided to move on, including perceived potential to help Tennessee with NCAA titles.

Could she be wrong? Absolutely. But it's her program and her call.

If they are kicking butt in a couple of years everyone will say she is a genius.

IT'S A BUSINESS. This is not Division III athletics.

It IS a business. And as a business it is important to remember that if your corporate brand takes a hit then your business can end up in the toilet.

These athletes did nothing wrong. We know from inside the program leaks that these decisions were not made because of any other reason than that the new staff thinks the old staff overpaid for these athletes.

This happens all the time, and it is part of every coaching change that takes place at the Div I level; however, there are ways of handling it that don't damage the BRAND!

BAS has fallen into the same trap almost every successful female head coach does: She thinks she is above the laws of the universe. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." i.e. - "What goes around comes around."

This will not go away soon. Tennessee will suffer because of it...

If this is not illegal, then the laws on scholarships and dismissals need to be changed. You do not break faith with your undergraduate athletes immediately after they enter your university unless they commit some serious infractions, none of which these athletes are accused of committing.

Since no one on here really seems to know both sides then I think it is a bit premature to judge that BAS is in the wrong. It sounds shady but of course it will coming out of the mouth of parents.

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

If this is not illegal, then the laws on scholarships and dismissals need to be changed. You do not break faith with your undergraduate athletes immediately after they enter your university unless they commit some serious infractions, none of which these athletes are accused of committing.

This x 10000

It will be interesting to see if her actions help her by clearing scholarships so she can recruit, or hurt her by showing potential recruits her character.

I'm sure many recruits would think "but she wouldn't do that to me."

I'm also sure that many schools, especially her SEC competition, will be more than happy to share this story with recruits that are considering both schools.

I think it was a bad move in all ways, especially for Tennessee and BAS. Too much negative publicity and too damaging on her reputation. Top kids have too many other options and don't need to risk what she might do to them.

It wont affect her at all. There all plenty of runners out there, and everyone of them wants scholarship money.

As classless as it is, I think the parents are wrong for going to the press. This is Div I athletics, it's not a every one gets a trophy XC team.

They keep their scholarship for a this year and they are allowing the girls to transfer w/o penalty.

It's ridiculous how many of you come to these forums and make comments regarding subject matters in which you know nothing about.

Yes, these young ladies are going through a difficult situation, but this is the real world and you do not have all of the facts. Obviously, this article was written from the parent's point of view, so it's hard not to feel for them and their daughters.

This program has been in disarray for years, and it's about time that someone comes in, takes a stand, and changes the culture around here. We went from having an elite SEC track dynasty to a Developmental program that has been focusing more on quantity than quality. At one point, coaces for both the men's and women's programs had high standards and superior expectations in order for an athlete to wear a UT Track uniform. Those expectations have slowly dissapeared over time and we are now at the bottom of the SEC.

Coach Sullivan and the rest of this staff are doing what they need to do in order to turn this program back into the powerhouse that it once was. In order to do that, sometimes you have to make tough decisions. Would it have been better for the coaching staff to wait until the Spring to cut them? At that point, the athlete is really invested in the program and settled in. Obviously, there is no good time to make a cut, but at least it happened early in the Fall so it allows them to have time to find another program. It also allows them to transfer mid semester if they want. Their scholarships have been granted through the Spring, so at least they have options. Like I said, it's not an easy situation for the athletes to be in, but at least they are not being led on for the duration of the year.

When a coach takes over a program that has been in turmoil, it is necessary for them to sometimes come in and make immediate, tough choices. This program went from having 4 female sprinters last year to 15 at the start of this year. That is a large group. More than likely, Coach Sullivan didn't want to make any decisions before she finalized her staff. That was not done until the start of the school year. Once that was done, practices had started and the new staff was finally able to see what they had inherited from the old staff. If you are a good coach and have an eye for talent then You don't have to watch these athletes compete in a track meet to know whether or not they fit your vision moving forward. You can learn a lot about an athlete in a short time by watching their mechanics and work ethic in practice, the way they interact with the team etc.

All I am saying is there are two sides to every story. College coaches have a ton of pressure on their shoulders from day one on the job, so they sometimes need to do what's best for the future of the program. If these girls had not been released and become the foundation for this program over the next few years and ended up not producing then you guys would all blame the staff for the team's performance. If a coach is going to be judged on performance then let them choose their athletes.

I know this is a crazy thought, but why don't we actually stay positive and support our coaches at UT instead of looking for every little excuse to bash them. Cheers!

Stay Positive wrote:

I know this is a crazy thought, but why don't we actually stay positive and support our coaches at UT instead of looking for every little excuse to bash them. Cheers!

One doesn't need to "look for an excuse to bash them"

This entire situation is reason enough. Being critical of bad decisions is not bashing.

How anyone can defend the coach's decision in this is a complete mystery.

Sammy Seems.... wrote:We know from inside the program leaks that these decisions were not made because of any other reason than that the new staff thinks the old staff overpaid for these athletes.

Finally someone says something rational. Whiny people on here that clearly don't get it.

finally wrote:

Finally someone says something rational. Whiny people on here that clearly don't get it.

Yes, because cutting 3 scholarship freshman before the season starts is rational.

loooooool

Stay Positive wrote:

I know this is a crazy thought, but why don't we actually stay positive and support our coaches at UT instead of looking for every little excuse to bash them. Cheers!

#1 - "Our coaches"? No.

#2 - F**kabunchathatbulls**t. It was a douche move unless there were extenuating disciplinary circumstances.

#3 - Which member of her staff are you?

Next year in the Big Ten this would not be allowed.

I want to see what malmo has to say!

Stay positive in the face of this ????? LOL!

Sammy Seems.... wrote:

It IS a business.

This is not a business. The University of Tennessee is a not-for-profit public institution of higher education. Their obligation is to the students.

There is no other argument to be made.

You know, most incoming coaches HONOR the commitments made by their predecessors. They bring in their own recruits gradually with each new class -- they don't cut athletes immediately. It actually HURTS the program tremendously by creating anti-Tennessee recruiting fodder for other schools. And, as has been expressed, this has NEVER happened before -- I'm assuming other coaches have come in to rebuild programs before in the SEC.