Wales-Dinan out from Harvard at end of month

Just stop wrote:

Dude, just stop. Everyone is clearly tired of you. Just stop replying

Everyone is tired of me yet they continue to come back and make personal attacks on my intelligence, work ethic, and fortitude because I'm asking for specifics to back up some pretty harsh accusations (abuse, endangerment, etc).

What do these behaviors say about their mental state to you?

What does everyone telling you you're wrong tell you?... You're probably wrong

PWD was my coach at Long Beach State, where he coached before coaching at Harvard. Let's just say, our team faced the same issues brought up but the women's Harvard team. Couldn't help reading the article in the crimson, and thinking how all to familiar it sounded.

Gotorunner5 wrote:

PWD was my coach at Long Beach State, where he coached before coaching at Harvard. Let's just say, our team faced the same issues brought up but the women's Harvard team. Couldn't help reading the article in the crimson, and thinking how all to familiar it sounded.

Southern Maine, Williams, Duke, LBSU, Harvard... Hands-On Patty is now looking for the next gig to immolate. Let's make s'mores!

Used to be Rono wrote:

Gotorunner5 wrote:

PWD was my coach at Long Beach State, where he coached before coaching at Harvard. Let's just say, our team faced the same issues brought up but the women's Harvard team. Couldn't help reading the article in the crimson, and thinking how all to familiar it sounded.

Southern Maine, Williams, Duke, LBSU, Harvard... Hands-On Patty is now looking for the next gig to immolate. Let's make s'mores!

Separate from whatever else may have happened with this coach, rule one is you shouldn't touch the athletes, ever, unless administering CPR or something similar. There was a coach at my high school from Balkan ancestry, who would occasionally put his hand on a student's shoulder to reassure or emphasize a coaching point. He only did that with male students and only if he knew them well (was coaching or teaching them in the classroom as he also taught several subjects). Certain cultures tend to more touchy-feely, usually Southern European, Balkan and some Eastern European areas. If you are like this and are coaching or teaching, you need to learn to stop doing it. Some students/athletes will be uncomfortable with it and may not say anything. The high school coach I mentioned also was very careful to never be in a room alone with a female student. There was one incident where one of his female students propositioned him to get a higher grade and of course he told her if she wanted a higher grade she should go home and study harder. Some coaches and teachers may not have the internal steadiness to say no and the first time they go for it can be a slippery slope where they then start looking for other such opportunities.

The fact that there is no generally accessible video anymore gives you an indication how strange and egregious his behavior was.

executor wrote:

Crimea River wrote:

The full Flotrack video revealed a coach that needs to find another line of work, not involving young women,

Where is the link to this video?

I have inside information regarding why Patrick is leaving. Patrick is an excellent coach and has taken the women's cross country and track teams to new levels. Last year the women's program won the cross country, indoor and outdoor heps championships. I know for a fact that 99 percent of the women on the team are crushed that he is leaving. The only reason he is leaving is because some spoiled entitled brats did not want to dedicate themselves to the level required of a division 1 runner. One of the brats has a father who is a big wig at Harvard and teaches there and started the b.s. investigation into Patrick after his spoiled daughter started complaining. I can almost assure you that he put pressure on the AD to get ride of Patrick to appease his spoiled daughter and the administration caved into his demands. I bet after the pressure the AD caved and informed Jason either get ride of Patrick or you will be gone with him. This put Jason in a difficult no win position. The few who have complained come from the world of "everyone gets a trophy, balloons and lollypops" and will never make it in the real world. As for the video I watched it and nothing inappropriate happened. I know for a fact that the runner in the video who Patrick was helping (and in no way improperly touched) is brokenhearted that he is leaving and loves him as a coach. If anyone at Harvard did a proper investigation and spoke to and listened the current team members I can assure you Patrick would not be leaving. However, it is just another situation in which the College buckled to a big doner/staff member who just happens to have a spoiled brat on the team.

I have inside information regarding why Patrick is leaving. Patrick is an excellent coach and has taken the women's cross country and track teams to new levels. Last year the women's program won the cross country, indoor and outdoor heps championships. I know for a fact that 99 percent of the women on the team are crushed that he is leaving. The only reason he is leaving is because some spoiled entitled brats did not want to dedicate themselves to the level required of a division 1 runner. One of the brats has a father who is a big wig at Harvard and teaches there and started the b.s. investigation into Patrick after his spoiled daughter started complaining. I can almost assure you that he put pressure on the AD to get ride of Patrick to appease his spoiled daughter and the administration caved into his demands. I bet after the pressure the AD caved and informed Jason either get ride of Patrick or you will be gone with him. This put Jason in a difficult no win position. The few who have complained come from the world of "everyone gets a trophy, balloons and lollypops" and will never make it in the real world. As for the video I watched it and nothing inappropriate happened. I know for a fact that the runner in the video who Patrick was helping (and in no way improperly touched) is brokenhearted that he is leaving and loves him as a coach. If anyone at Harvard did a proper investigation and spoke to and listened the current team members I can assure you Patrick would not be leaving. However, it is just another situation in which the College buckled to a big doner/staff member who just happens to have a spoiled brat on the team.

[quote]Gotta keep the hands off wrote:

I know for a fact that the runner in the video who Patrick was helping (and in no way improperly touched) is brokenhearted that he is leaving and loves him as a coach. quote]

Don't you understand this is part of his problem. I don't think this would come as a surprise to anyone - a lot of times normal to like someone giving you attention.

And seems there were more people than a few entitled brats that had concerns and did not feel he was a good fit. The assistant volunteer coach really has no skin in that game.

The hyphenated one will be gone tomorrow. Go get yourself some ice cream. It's OK now. Nothing bad will happen and you will feel much much better. Time to get on with your life - the life the hyphenated one does not want you to have. It's OK to live without him. Really.

As always, the Harvard/PWD issue lies somewhere in the middle. He wasn't the right fit. Both sides of this argument are emotionally inflamed and not seeing the reality for what it is.

He brought in a massive culture shift that alienated too many of the kids. He had great intentions, but showed an inability to meet his kids where they were.

Lots of the kids were entitled. This issue had nothing to do with touching.

Those close to the program know he did some pretty amazing stuff at Harvard. He also made the mistake of alienating entirely too may people on the team. If you stir the hornets nest too much, trouble is coming. He definitely stirred the hornets nest too much.

The Wizzard wrote:

If you stir the hornets nest too much, trouble is coming. He definitely stirred the hornets nest too much.

If you stir the hornets nest with your d-piece yo shit is gonna get stung. When in doubt, pull out.

Almost all of the runners complaining did not have what it takes to be division 1 runners. To rebuilt a program you have to get ride of the dead weight. In addition, the investigation was conducted in a half assed fashion. The reason why it will never go public is that it is b.s. Most of the investigation centered around interviews with the spoiled brats and failed to interview current team members (and any current team members who were interviewed their opinion was given little or no weight). Patrick has had a positive impact on the program if you honestly look at the improvement since he has joined the program. In addition, he has added good recruits. Harvard is going to have a hard time this late in the game filling Patricks shoes. In addition, Harvard better hire someone who can meet Patricks recruiting abilities.

Hmm. Everyone is replaceable, especially in this sport.

You are wrong. The team was a mess by the spring, a PWD disaster. They were all hurt, except for two of the 11 and even Judy was a mess by regionals, 17:10 after 15:52 in January. Not to mention Smith who is done by most account , ruined by poor coaching.

The mid distance group was in shambles, the men were destroyed, the women mid group was a joke. Having someone run one good race is the not an indication of good coaching, he is not a good catch. It is and always will be about him.

He is decisive and dangerous to his athletes, good riddance.

Since you'll probably have some time on your hands this summer with PWD gone you might want to check into a remedial writing class. That would be a lot more useful to you in the future than an extra workout.

Don't forget the ice cream. He has obviously instilled a hateful ugly attitude in you. Ice cream can help with that.

Is PWD the first defending conference XC champ to be asked to resign? I'll be interested to see how the team does 2-3 falls from now.

Could be. Wonder if Harvard feared potential legal liability if he stayed. Investigation results must have been pretty bad to warrant firing xc champ.

Gotta keep the hands off wrote:

I know for a fact that 99 percent of the women on the team are crushed that he is leaving.

It would be interesting to see the true % split between those who thought he was good and those who thought he was abusive. I doubt 99% are crushed, I doubt any coach has that high an approval rating, but anything over 75 or 80 would still be a good number.