Lehigh Track Coach Insensitive Comments

Monstwr hawk wrote:

You’d think they’d get a hungry young guy in looking to make a name for himself.

Maybe say this out loud and then determine if this has the potential of pouring gasoline on the fire. Maybe a reasonably seasoned female would be a better solution.

For the folks complaining about Bowerman - what a bunch of pussies. I realize that this is a new age but we weren’t like you guys back in the day.

you sexist wrote:

Dufus wrote:

Read the article and comments and It doesn't seem good to make final judgements based on that.

I am glad that at least one of the people at the center of chain of command for harassment claims at the school in question is female and also very pleased that not all of them are.

Wow that was a very sexist statement. What does anyone's gender have to do with their ability to do their jobs? Are you implying if all of them were women that the result would be different?

Yes. Sexist and also true.

First, that article was WAY too long; it could have been much much shorter and conveyed the same info.

Essentially, what this coach is doing is just plain wrong. Any other profession, he'd be out on his butt already; if not had his ass kicked by a husband/brother/father/boyfriend of the girls he's hitting on. He preying on the vulnerable and needs to hit the showers.

Wadster wrote:

First, that article was WAY too long; it could have been much much shorter and conveyed the same info.

Essentially, what this coach is doing is just plain wrong. Any other profession, he'd be out on his butt already; if not had his ass kicked by a husband/brother/father/boyfriend of the girls he's hitting on. He preying on the vulnerable and needs to hit the showers.

I didn’t see anywhere that he was hitting on them. Did you even read it?

you sexist wrote:

Dufus wrote:

Read the article and comments and It doesn't seem good to make final judgements based on that.

I am glad that at least one of the people at the center of chain of command for harassment claims at the school in question is female and also very pleased that not all of them are.

Wow that was a very sexist statement. What does anyone's gender have to do with their ability to do their jobs? Are you implying if all of them were women that the result would be different?

I am implying that I am more comfortable that the investigating leadership be mixed. That's pro-diversity. I would tend not to trust all men or all women, though in theory, single gender committees can do good work.

Now, why did you not see my statement as sexist against men ? If it was sexist, it was inclusively so.

This isn't the 90's wrote:

Sounds like a bunch of SJW BS.

No one really says anything specific. Just that he made them uncomfortable. Sounds like he may make an inappropriate joke every once in a while.

Back in my day a coach joking around with his runners was part of building a relationship. I don't think kids today are used to adults in positions of power joking with them.

Isn't his wife on the coaching staff? I doubt there is anything sexually inappropriate since she's around the team every day.

I doubt the news rag will give specific examples during an investigation. However if you look at the comments section there are plenty of specific behaviors mentioned.

He sounds like a very naive and childish man. He's fortunate that he is in a school environment. In a true corporate environment the door would be hitting him in the ass.

Coaching does not have to involved touching or kicking, or ass patting.

you sexist wrote:

Dufus wrote:

Read the article and comments and It doesn't seem good to make final judgements based on that.

I am glad that at least one of the people at the center of chain of command for harassment claims at the school in question is female and also very pleased that not all of them are.

Wow that was a very sexist statement. What does anyone's gender have to do with their ability to do their jobs? Are you implying if all of them were women that the result would be different?

It wasn’t sexist. It means that women have different opinions than men due to varying factors about which you are clueless.

Common sense dude wrote:

irrelevant wrote:

fyi- We aren't talking about his wife.

Any woman that sees these things happening and doesn't take action is part of the problem. If his wife was a great person, she wouldn't let him touch athletes.

That’s a very sexist statement. What difference does it make whether or not the witness is male or female?

I’m happy I got out of coaching. Millennials and their parents were bad enough. I can’t comprehend how awful these post millennials must be in this “heterosexual white men are evil” climate.

I won’t be going back. It’s not worth it.

mooonshot wrote:

How is this coach still employed? AD sleeping with his wife?

Speaking of insensitive comments... I definitely wouldn’t hire you.

Flibble wrote:

I’m happy I got out of coaching. Millennials and their parents were bad enough. I can’t comprehend how awful these post millennials must be in this “heterosexual white men are evil” climate.

I won’t be going back. It’s not worth it.

Anyone who is complaining about millenials and the current generation should NOT be coaching anyway. Coaching is not about your feelings, it's about the students.

These kids, as different as they are from previous generations, desperately need a good coach now more than any other time. A coach to be a role model, a coach to teach them how to overcome adversity, a coach to hold them accountable for their own actions.

Coaches should be involved in this career to have a positive impact on the lives of the kids on the team. If you think coaching is just about having fun or trying to win to fulfill your own selfish aspirations, then we are better off without you in this profession.

First of all, the problem with this generation is they do not want to be held accountable. That’s the main problem. They want someone that’s going to tell them what they want to hear and they are constantly on the lookout to find anything at all to complain about. This generation needs discipline. They don’t want it. These kids are ruthless and it will literally ruin college athletics. So congrats to all you punk kids.

This is nothing compared to a previous Patriot League coach in Centrowitz. He should be given a bonus for being so soft.

I'm willing to bet a lot of money that you are a former member of Lehigh Track and Field.

I'm sorry your former coach who you liked turned out to be a total creep. At best, he has the judgement of a high school sophomore, at worst he has demonstrated a consistent pattern of inappropriate behavior to people who he is in power over.

Oh and your argument about if there was anything he would be fired, I will point you to Penn State as one of many NCAA examples.

I noticed in the article the athletes all call him "Coach Matt". It may seem harmless, but that's a red flag already. Absolutely doesn't mean the guy is going to be a problem for sure, but in my experience coaches that ask or allow themselves to be addressed by "coach first name" instead of "coach" or "coach last name" or "last name" end up trying to be friends or are looked at as friends and the boundaries start getting a lot more fuzzy on one or both sides.

If he wants to do a better job, stop with the "Coach Matt" nonsense.

One thing I learned very quickly : Matt is going to find out, within 24 hours, who his friends/supporters are and who they are not. These two groups will be viciously polarized and nobody will change anyone's mind one way or the other. These stories are going to be filled with truth, half-truth, partial-truth, perception and lies. It will be impossible to differentiate between any of these.

The best thing he can do is to say nothing. There is nothing he can say that will change anyone's mind on either side of the coin. Anything he says will be twisted and scrutinized. He is in a position where his adversaries will pick him apart no matter what he says. He can say he is sorry and their response will be, "...fk you". If he defends himself, the response is "fk you." The student-athletes in these situations have all the power and he has to accept that. The HR files and investigations are private and absolutely nobody can comment on them because it involves a student. Even if he were to be cleared of the accusations, the school will NOT comment on them. They would be violating privacy laws for the student.

I don't know what is the truth and what is not. None of us know. I know that nobody wins in these cases.

Clearly, coaches have to be aware of what they say and what they do and how things will be perceived. The facts do not matter anymore. The only thing that matters is the perception. Perception is life now. Wrong or right.

I have the luxury of being on the outside looking in now. I used to run my program under the philosophy that it is the job of the athletes to adapt to me and my personality. Now, it really is that you need to adapt to the athletes and you may have to have a variety of different approaches to each student individually. We used to coach everyone the same (not workouts, but overall philosophy) and now, you have to spend more time learning what each student-athlete needs and requires emotionally. Like it. Don't like it. It is how it is now and that is what younger coaches are trying to say, IMHO.

Anyway, if the behavior is true that is written about Matt, clearly these things are wrong. I am certain he is in a tough place right now and will come out of it and be even better for having gone through it.

I stress that I also understand the pain and struggle for those that have spoken up. It is hard. They feel the way they feel and they deserve to be heard. They deserve our attention and support because you cannot dictate how someone feels.

Anyways...I have been there and I hate seeing so many other people in the same position. And, when I say that, I also mean the student-athletes. I feel terrible, and always have, for anyone I have wronged in my own deviant behavior. There are lessons to be learned here for all of us.

Formally from the bottom of the pool,

~Kevin

one thing to add here wrote:

I noticed in the article the athletes all call him "Coach Matt". It may seem harmless, but that's a red flag already. Absolutely doesn't mean the guy is going to be a problem for sure, but in my experience coaches that ask or allow themselves to be addressed by "coach first name" instead of "coach" or "coach last name" or "last name" end up trying to be friends or are looked at as friends and the boundaries start getting a lot more fuzzy on one or both sides.

If he wants to do a better job, stop with the "Coach Matt" nonsense.

I completely agree with this comment. If you are a coach, you need to be either "Coach" or "Coach [Last Name]". it is one of the first steps to continuing to create the necessary gap and boundaries from the jump. They are not your friends. You are not their friend. You are not their uncle, their Dad or their buddy. You are their coach.

Good point.

~Kevin

Are you serious? The SJWs are seriously out of control.

What ever happened to freedom of speech? If some lib claims I said something offensive I can get fired without cause?

Liberals are ruining this country.

Pis Bill wrote:

longboat wrote:

Agree -- why is this person still employed?

Multiple complaints, but apparently through different channels -- Lehigh failing to connect the dots?

How is it we have an award named after Bill Bowerman, the super creeper who peed on his athlete in the shower?

Exactly. Free pass.