VA INTERMONT FIRES COACH, ELIMINATES TRACK XC

distanceking79 wrote:

lots of people support other runners, american distance running, and the specifically the athletes at vi. BUT, i only did so for the athletes. While I can admit it sounds like simmons has actually done something decent here, or tried to do the right thing, I have seen the man do the morally wrong thing far to many times in the past. Think of him what you will, and maybe he's been a good coach to you, but simmons has pushed a lot of people into the mud and stepped on a lot of toes to get to where he is. he shouldn't expect much sympathy from those he's stabbed in the back when fate serves him some sour milk.

yeah, because god knows you had climb over a mountain of dead bodies to be considered for the VIRGINIA INTERMONT job, when he took it. shee-it. are you kidding me?

i am sick to death of listening to people whine about all this "immoral" behavior from a guy who stuck his neck out and risked his ass so his kids could get their due. yeah, maybe he planned to leave v.i.c. after this semester anyway, but you don't think he knew he was taking a big chance by going public with his fundraising? and that it could conceivably cost him a job opportunity with an AD who might now perceive him as a"loose cannon?" he took a huge chance and did it anyway because his athletes deserved it.

while I too am jealous as hell of all he's accomplished (and i do think that is where most of this rhetoric comes from), i am proud that i am not so pathetic and petty as to put simmons on a pedestal and then throw sh!t at him. i can't find the words to describe how freaking lame that is.

You don't get to the top by being gentle. And yes, I gotta give it to this coach for dealing with nut jocks

If this were basketball, this would be all over ESPN right now!

Going forward, anyone who is coached by Simmons will now know what kind of individual Scott Simmons really is - he took a risk doing what he thought was the right thing to do for his team, and it cost him his job.

ASK YOURSELF THIS:

HOW MANY COACHES - BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL, SOCCER IN NAIA, NCAA, N-WHATEVER WOULD DO THIS FOR YOU? And it doesn't count if your momma is the coach - but she probably wouldn't stick her neck out for you either.

Actually, i wasn't refering to his position at vic, but rather the people he's used and bailed on to become a 5 time national champion coach. you guys all talk about how your sick of hearing guys complain and try to bring him down cuz they are jealous of simmons, but i think a lot of us are growing tired of hearing that wet squishing sound it makes when his member pulls back out of your throats. get off your knees, simmons just got fired for doing his only kind act in a career filled with corrupt, immoral actions and you all praise him cuz he's had cabada, cheromei, elkana, and a bunch of other incredible talented people that wouldn't have been accepted elsewhere or wouldn't have gotten the money to afford elsewhere to run for him. yes he's made some faster, but some have gotten slower under him as well.

I would say that no matter the intention, most AD's would be upset about a coach doing private fund raising for a specific cause without clearing it with the athletic department. It would also be a valid reason to fire someone. It is a clear display of disrespect for one's superior, regardless of the intention to provide assistance to these athletes, and does not bode well when you apply for the next job. Not a mature decision on Simmon's part.

I find it somewhat disturbibg that several people have come on the message board and bashed a coach with what appear to be unsubstantiated charges. I know it happens alot, but to accuse someone of cheating or being morally corrupt because of supposed actions it would be nice to hear a substantiated complaint. I am aquainted with Coach Simmons, I have had a few beers with him a long time ago, so I don't know much about him other than what he has accomplished but the attacks seem beyond the pale.

I would think that most of you, when you were collegiate athletes, would expect your school to send you to nationals if you qualified. To say otherwise is disingenuous. If the administration had just taken back the money to go to nationals why should they expect a coach to not attempt to raise the funds any way he could. It sounds to me that the administrators feel somewhat threatened by a coaches success and used any excuse to fire him.

After reading this article now I hope VI closes down that is completly rediculous that Simmons has been fired for attempting to allow the athletes to compete... You know Simmons helped get Virginia Intermont College on the map by doing well. It was the best program at the school by far and for Puglisi who considers himself an avid runner to act this way is completly outrageous he should understand that Simmons is the type of coach who will not sit around and let his athletes waste away when they have earned nationals. Well we have learned what type of coach he is the type that will loose a job that he worked hard for 3 long years for his athletes. Easily put Simmons was too good of coach to be at VI and I hope Puglisi realizes the repercussion of his actions.

distanceking79.... let's dance. Tell me who got slower under simmons? Please tell me.

And what state is Virginia Intermont in exactly ?

Quality Individual wrote:

ASK YOURSELF THIS:

HOW MANY COACHES - BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL, SOCCER IN NAIA, NCAA, N-WHATEVER WOULD DO THIS FOR YOU? And it doesn't count if your momma is the coach - but she probably wouldn't stick her neck out for you either.

Scott (I will no longer call him coach Simmons because he currently is not)did nothing. HE DID NOT STICK HIS NECK OUT. There was not going to be a team next year and they were not going to go to nationals this year. So his JOB was already over. This is all a publicity stunt to garner support. This dishonest cheating and winning at all costs guy finally got what he was due. Every dog has his day. I have talked with a dozen coaches who all feel the same way that I do. And for the record I do not coach an NAIA school. I have just seen Scott and his athletes in action.

Not really cause the kids are still going to get to go to nationals now. You my friend are upset because an NAIA team beat your D1 team. Scott paid for the Penn trip out of his pocket, but I guess that wasn't "sticking his neck out there". And yes Scott does still coach. Fasil and Cabada (at least for the next week on him).

Please enlighten me about this cheating and dishonest man that Scott Simmons is. He did put his neck out there, he funded an entire team to go to Penn. He helped to pay a good amount for his 6 top Americans to go to San Fran for Club Nats. He regularly brought in kids who needed another chance, and he got them that chance and made them winners. What he did was win, he didnt cheat, he didnt lie to get it, he flat out outcoached everyone else to win titles.

Ricky Boobey,

There it is...another violation out in the open. I was wondering how Joey Purpura got to run out there during a redshirt xc season.

If he is paying for his athletes to go anywhere out of his own pocket, that is a violation. I hope his defenders continue to point out all of these violations. You will guarantee that Scott can not ever find a job again.

It is plane and simple that Virginia Intermont College never really appreciated Coach Simmons hard work. Also for the individuals who believe that Simmons program is not successful I can recount numerous athletes that Simmons has really developed into amazing products. Steve Gabart a 4:50 something hs runner became an amazing talent as a true freshmen probably one of the best freshman runners US running 14:30's? As a frosh. He is currently one of Florida States top 10,000m runners and I would be willing to bet a future All American at FSU. Chad Wallin 5:00 Miler in HS to a 2:30ish Marathoner and also improved to running 8:40ish for the 3000m. Simmons knows how to coach and he did put himself out there for his athletes which lead to his termination. He cared more for his athletes being able to compete at Nationals then he did for his own job that is loyalty.

For the athlete who indicated that people not always improve under Simmons, I have personally never herd of a runner not improving under Simmons. I was coached by Simmons for three seasons to give you an indication on my road with his program.

Before and after working with Simmons

800: 2:00/1:52

1000: 2:39/2:24

1500: 4:05/3:45

Mile: 4:28/4:04

3000: 8:52/8:16

5000: 15:32/14:17

10,000: 32:57/29:05

8k xc: 26:34/24:27

So as you can see his program was legit.

Also about the allegations which have taken place I am not 100% sure if emailing Puglisi is the best thing to do at this point. I thought about emailing him and explaining my thoughts on the situation but at the same time if he is human he knows he is wrong and incorrect on the decision to terminate Scott. We as people only fuel the fire by emailing Puglisi and cussing him out what justice does this do to the situation and also what justice does this do to Simmons as a Coach? Justice will be served to Puglisi. People will only look at him as a sour human being for terminating Coach Simmons because he was attempting to rightfully reward his athlete’s honest hard work by allowing them to compete at nationals. So my thoughts don't waste your breath emailing Puglisi let him sit around and feel guilty about the decisions he has made.

Here is just one of the questionable calls people have been referring to. Last year at VI showed up at the outdoor national meet prepared to run Cabada. He had already hired an agent and signed a contract with Reebok causing him to lose his amateur status. He was going to race until several coaches from other schools had to force the NAIA to remove him from the meet. The NAIA has no backbone and therefore allows a lot of things to slide, but there in NO excuse for attempting to run a professional athlete at a NAIA National meet.

Lousy Logic wrote:

If he is paying for his athletes to go anywhere out of his own pocket, that is a violation. I hope his defenders continue to point out all of these violations. You will guarantee that Scott can not ever find a job again.

In the NAIA? Remember, this is the wild, wild west in terms of statutory regulations; like the old Broadway number, "Anything Goes."

Scott will land on his feet. Unless you are caught with a little boy, some school will give you a flier, regardless what happened behind the scenes. See Huggins, Bob.

never the less, it is still very lame of the AD to fire the coach and disband the team with only a few weeks left in the season and the program, anyway. Obviously, trying to stop them from going to Nationals. Chickenshit.

Joey Purpura did not redshirt this XC season jack-ass.. he redshirt the outdoor season there, smart one! Secondly, Club Nats was not a VIC race, it was a club intermont one, we raced for a club team not a college one. The trip was funded by club raised money. Secondly, Cabada signed with an agent, but not with Reebok yet. Get your facts straight. Signing with an agent does not cause one to lose his/her amateur status... college baseball players do it quite frequently... I know this, my friend works for an agent. So far 0/zero/zilch sanctions againt the program... any other takers?