Beth Sullivan making headlines at UT

I commend the young lady for her words. I know how hard it is for women in coaching, but that is not the issue here. Coach Sullivan has probably faced many off the problems of sexism all woman coaches face, but that is no excuse for behaving the way she has toward those athletes, male or female. So, yes, I think it is time for young people to speak truth to power and confront corrupt administrators. Division I institutions expect a great deal of loyalty from athletes, and repay it quite poorly. If young recruits enter their college careers with that young woman's backbone, the Beth Sullivan's of the world will have to step more carefully.

Oh look, another sock puppet.

present, j.d. wrote:

Link wrote:

In any case, damages are easy to show: The loss of 3 years tuition, fees room and board.

Nah, NCAA scholarships are only year-by-year. (Conferences/institutions/teams can decide to "guarantee" them for a longer period, but I don't think that's the situation here.) So these students did get to keep their scholarships for the full (only) school year that they covered--unless the students chose to leave before the year was ended--and there was no "loss of three years['] tuition, fees[, and] room and board."

They are year-to-year but if the coach decides to reduce aid at the end of the year then the schools must offer the student the option to appeal the coach's decision to prevent egregious acts such as this. Also, the school must notify the athlete in writing by July 1st if their scholarship is not renewed.

Just stop stop stop. Stop the madness. Listen to your mom. (According to your new coaches bio his greatest influence was the example of his parents) your Mom obviously did a good enough job u got into Brown that is great. But now u sound like a stuck up snobby brat. Are you saying getting an athletic spot at Brown, your H.S. Diploma, and the sexism you have experienced in your 18 years makes you "know what you are talking about" and worthy of deciding who gets respect? I believe I recall you stating you got your facts from a message board that No one important reads. I would define a predator as oh idk Ted kaczynski- he was accepted to Harvard at 16 by the way. Good thing u didn't go there! I wonder what his definition of respect was! I still think it's weird at Harvard the kids won't even wear book store gear that says Harvard on it, and when people ask them where they go to school they say "Boston." You are probably too young to remember this but let's run used to have a great affection for the former Brown coach Craig Lake. I bet she has a PhD in sexism.

Ha. Interesting how angry people get.nactually, my mom didn't do much to help ,e get into Brown. She didn't go to college and doesn't understand higher education much yet. Mostly it was my guidance counselor and a local track coach. You really need to know someone before making your assumptions. If you like I could retract the word predator. What I meant by it was Coach Sullivan preying on those athletes by holding them just long enough so that they could not easily go elsewhere and race against her team. So, what would you have me call someone who does that? Not 'good coaching' certainly. I may be 17, and I am happy to learn from my elders, but I do not feel like I have to make nice with someone as disingenuous and hard-nosed as Coach Sullivan. She is a bully and deserves to be called out for it. You can disagree with me, but I utterly reject the rest of your insane slandering.

Anyone have Sullivan's contact info? Could be fun to release the letsrun trolls on her. #firebethsullivan

opinionated guy wrote:

I don't know if your story is true or made up, but this is true:

A junior at my daughter's high school has run 4:55 so far this season. She received a letter from Tennessee. After the coach handed it to her, she politely laughed and said, "I know about that coach and how she has shown terrible loyalty to the team members. There is no way I would tempt that situation."

The girl must read the boards or be aware of BAS from some source. I'm sure many kids will be interested but her reputation IS out there and will have some impact on her credibility.

When I was coaching and complaining to a friend about the way some rival coaches lied to people in the recruiting process, a friend said, "Doesn't that hurt them?"

I was like "Not really. A sophomore in HS isn't even thinking about college and doesn't even hear or pay attention to what happens to a senior. Every few years, there's a new group."

I thought abuot starting a college recruiting webdsite to hold coaches accountable. Like a yelp for coaches. I thought it would include even NCAA basketball and shit - get infractions on there. Maybe this will motivate me. It probably would require registration though.

Slander??? It's what your mom said, not me, minus the history lesson. Dude you told someone off in real life who you never met (it's way different from trolling anon) Umm maybe you should also really get to know someone before making assumptions. & saying u would rather go to Diddly tech college because of Beth, hah what about the academic prestige factor. If Beth coached at Brown I bet you would be her best friend.

Dude, you don't get it. People are outraged that the NCAA has become all about two things 1) Money and 2) Winning at all costs.

What about education, loyalty, ethics.

She should have at a minimum let them compete this year. That's not wasting a year. To be honest, she she should have given them their full rides, let them train with the team and let them redshirt if they want or compete if they want. The AD SHOULD HAVE insisted this be the case or he should have hired BAS last January before recruiting.

It's pretty amazing that the day after we put this article up, we also have an article about a suicide. These are human beings - not points.

Well said Rojo.

Then take it up with the NCAA! why bash one single coach who is trying to win when they all do it?

ohmgee wrote:

Then take it up with the NCAA! why bash one single coach who is trying to win when they all do it?

It's late Beth. Go to bed.

I hadn't realized that Sullivan is the head coach of the combined UT men's and women's track team. Her actions have raised questions about the value of UT athletic commitments. The SEC has a history of spinters playing key roles on football teams. I wonder if her actions as head track coach will alter the perceptions of UT among two-sport athletes (football-track).

I still don't get how this makes traction here but you guys aren't e-mailing Tennessee's entire staff, the NCAA demanding her firing and banishment from NCAA schools as a coach.

Going out of your way to completely destroy young student athletes lives should put her in jail and the fact that she is still the coach over the years is blowing my mind.

http://www.ncaa.com/contact-us

http://www.utk.edu/contact/

The media isn't enough, there should be a very public demand to remove this woman from affecting other peoples lives in our sport.

http://www.usnpl.com/tnnews.php

Firstly, She would not be my best friend because I would not run under her. I would attend somewhere else or chose to go there for my degree alone and run road races. Secondly, as far as I am concerned she was about to try and charm me into coming to a place where I was likely to be left with no scholarship and no easy way to transfer. It would have betrayed myself if I didn't tell her that I know what she did to those other runners. Bullies must be stood up to--plain and simple. This is not a matter of 'a coach with a rough exterior'; it is a matter of something amounting to a pyramid scheme. People like her are just crummy and out for themselves and I REFUSE to be nice when someone is being intentionally deceptive. This is not very a complicated thing for me. It's like the guy who calls selling crap over the phone--leave me alone and take me off your list.

$175,000 salary 4 years

$70,000 supplemental pay

Plus

$850 month car allowance

Plus

$7k for each SEC title mens and womens (42k max)

Plus

NCAA Maximum bonus from the following:

$7k six athletes at an NCAA track

$14k Top Ten finish NCAA track or xc

$21k top four track

$28k NCAA champ track

49k Winning 4 NCAA titles

Plus one time

$25k moving expenses

$82k payment to Penn State

i

you are a bully so I'm standin wrote:

Don't worry, after your behavior she wouldn't have offered you an athletic spot, so you wouldn't have gotten into Brown- and you would probably be at Diddly college with your guidance counselor writing your admission essay. Lol you are left with no athletic scholarship at Brown either way. Why are you talking to her after u already committed to Brown anyway? Isnt that against ncaa rules? Are you mean to the guys selling stuff on the phone too? They are just earning a pay check; it might be their only job option because of disability or something but you wouldn't know that would you...you just assume... do u even know what a pyramid scheme is? I think you are the one being deveptive.

This conversation happened before I committed; but anyway I doubt me responding to her when she approached me at an invitational is a violation of any rules. She initiated the conversation, and would not let up, even putting her hand on my shoulder to try to get me to stand there after I clearly did not wish to be talking to her. She kept saying "young lady you need to come to us because we can make you the runner you don't know you are." It was so condescending and inappropriate.

I really can't bear people like you who think kids should just never confront older people when they are being pulling that hard sell crap. I look up to athletes like Prefontaine, who confronted corrupt officials, both to their faces, and by trying to organize around them. What Beth Sullivan to those athletes at her school did was WRONG, and I have zero problems with myself for letting her know that, while also trying to extract myself from the conversation.

After reading this thread, I am quickly becoming a BAS fan. I would hate to deal with college kids like these and their whiny parents. Horrible!

Frankie the Great wrote:

After reading this thread, I am quickly becoming a BAS fan. I would hate to deal with college kids like these and their whiny parents. Horrible!

Yes, Beth, you're a fan of yourself. We know...we know...we know...