Georgetown coach Pat Henner resigns (but gets glowing recommendation from AD) - 7 xc meets are cancelled

Your question suggests a problem in people's mentality at Georgetown. It shouldn't be about "a new coach and moving on." The past 16 years with Pat Henner have been storied indeed. Georgetown should come together and properly honor him. Maybe plan a school sponsored event in May, 2016. This would be long enough to move FORWARD, but not to just move on. That's disrespectful to all he and his runners have accomplished.

All the suggestions with "new" coaches are off the mark, IMHO. Would some of these coaches (Centro, Gags, Watts, Gibby, et al) even know HOW to create a new and safe environment much different than the one that already exists? I think people who have been around Georgetown during Henner's tenure (or any alumni) are too close to the situation. A fresh perspective is needed. No one is perfect though. Everyone has skeletons of some sort or another...just like Georgetown and everyone else.

Another D1 Runner wrote:

Honestly, the reason I posted was not to pile on to GU, but to respond to some of the posts that had been added to the thread. A few of them, included the post from a father who claims his son runs for a similar school, made light of some of the more ridiculous accusations.

What color is the sky in your world?

You make an outrageous claim that guys are fondling each other in the locker room, then suggest that I'm making light of your manufactured claim of sexual abuse.

The guys made a risque scavenger hunt list and video. No one was sexually abused.

I personally think:

- young men make raunchy jokes and do stupid stuff all the time

- the coach should have known about this and put an end to it

- the coach should have been reprimanded, but NOT have been fired

- the suits at G'town, knowing that the scavenger hunt document and the video were discoverable, decided that they had to insulate themselves from further litigation. So, Henner became the sacrificial lamb.

- the young woman used race as an excuse for breaking down from higher volume and intensity (which happens all the time in D1) and for her poor attitude

I think that only the last statement is even remotely arguable...

Answers are blowing in the win wrote:

Your question suggests a problem in people's mentality at Georgetown. It shouldn't be about "a new coach and moving on." The past 16 years with Pat Henner have been storied indeed. Georgetown should come together and properly honor him. Maybe plan a school sponsored event in May, 2016. This would be long enough to move FORWARD, but not to just move on. That's disrespectful to all he and his runners have accomplished.

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This has been a hilarious thread to read. Talking about this issue is a form of 'retaliation' therefore no one should talk about. Now is not the time to talk about new coaches, we should only be talking about how to honor the coach who just resigned because he couldn't keep his team under control.

The current Hoyas writing here need to take a step back from this. I understand your unhappiness with the situation, but the team and the program are much bigger than you and your experience.

Believe it or not, there ARE alumni who are unhappy with this from a perspective other than 'this was unfair because we're just some 18-22 year old boys doing what 18-22 year old boys do.' The university investigated and determined that there was enough to put the team on probation.

The team name has been dragged through the mud, been across national newspapers, obviously discussion boards, - because of the things YOU all did. Part of moving past this is acknowledging that it wasn't a witch-hunt. There were serious issues discovered and it's embarrassing for the hundreds of alumni who now have their names associated with your actions.

It's not your place to say this wasn't a big deal. That genie left the bottle as soon as the university took over the investigation. It is bigger than you. You are not an authority on what the consequences should be, or how people should feel. You guys were part of the problem, and your childish defenses are embarrassing as an alum both for their startling lack of self-awareness and for their childish insistence that it's just not fair and nobody who thinks otherwise has a legitimate point.

Some other people here have called you entitled, and off-the-mark defenses have come right back. As if the fact that you may be middle class or a hard worker is somehow a defense. They're calling you entitled because even though the actions of the men's distance squad led to the coach resigning and the team being put on probation (and athletes who had nothing to do with it being punished), you guys are STILL on here as if you and Henner are the victims.

It perfectly puts the situation into perspective. There are plenty of us who have been out of Georgetown for 20 years or more and are still actively involved in one way or another. Thankfully, you will soon recognize that your representation of the program has come to an end. The Georgetown program wasn't just Henner, and it certainly wasn't just guys like you all posting here. Your inability to see beyond your own nose doesn't mean you're some sort of authority figure for Georgetown. You guys were the problem, and you guys are the only ones who can't see that.

Basically, just stop. You're embarrassing the program here on top of the actions you committed that embarrassed and tarnished the program, and led to Henner's resignation. It's the Georgetown team, not the Classes of 2012-2018 temporary team. It's bigger than you, and part of growing up is to stop whining about consequences to your actions.

I'm just looking at this issue as an outsider...

What if these boys are gay? Is there something wrong with homosexual behavior? Is that what we are saying? It sounds like nobody was forced to do anything... What it sounds like is some boys were giving themselves an excuse to engage in behavior that they would be afraid to admit to wanting in a normal context.

It's too bad that they made some of this stuff public. That was a mistake. But it sure seems to me like people are freaking out, launching investigations, and firing coaches because some kids are doing gay things. How is this not homophobia?

I have no dog in this fight. Maybe I'm just missing something.

Any truth to the Pete Sherry to GU rumors? He would be the perfect man for the job.

I am a current Hoya who is not affiliated with the team, but still enough of a running nerd to read/post on LR.

While the only information I have regarding the recent events came from these boards, or other publicly available coverage, my take is that yes, the 18-22 year olds on the team are adults, and they should have done a better job of thinking through the potential long term consequences of their actions. That said, I speak for the whole student body of Georgetown when I say that the track team (distance runners in particular) are recognized as some of the most dedicated, friendly talented, and all around awesome people on campus. When the Crew/Basketball/Football/Baseball/Swim teams are all out getting drunk and stoned on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, the track guys are usually asleep, so that they can wake up at 6 the next morning and get their workout in. I find this inspiring and admirable.

I know that many posters on this thread would say that the team's outstanding character and dedication are beside the point, which I admit, is true to some extent. However, despite all the concern over the "team culture" on the track team, the "team culture"that I have observed is one where anything less than a single-minded devotion to running as fast as possible is unacceptable. In other words, the track team at Georgetown probably has the best team culture of all the teams on campus.

As I said initially, the track guys should have thought about how their actions might be viewed by the rest of the community and the media, and thought about the consequences these actions could have. Their failure to do this was admittedly irresponsible, especially since it cost an innocent man his job.

Georgetown, for better or for worse (in this case, for worse) is the type of ultra politically correct place, where at the slightest hint of sexual, racial misconduct, people lose their sh** and stop acting like rational human beings. I think that to a large extent, the recent scandal was the direct result of this culture. While the team certainly isn't without fault, I do think that they got a pretty crappy deal.

well said

No, I think I agree with what you have written. I read through the posts before initially posting and there were more than a few that implied that actual sexual acts had taken place.

After hearing from the GU runner, it is now more clear that most of this was just immature behavior that is commonplace with all 18-20 year old kids.

I honestly did want to make sure that the up-and-coming college runners knew that teams are not terrifying groups to join. I had a great experience.

Reading back through the thread, it was more of the placement of many posts that lead to a feeling of "normalcy" surrounding some of the "outrageous claims." I believe the GU runner when he says that none of that took place.

I think you're right, though. I have nothing to argue against with your post and feel similarly to you.

Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:

I'm just looking at this issue as an outsider...

What if these boys are gay? Is there something wrong with homosexual behavior? Is that what we are saying? It sounds like nobody was forced to do anything... What it sounds like is some boys were giving themselves an excuse to engage in behavior that they would be afraid to admit to wanting in a normal context.

It's too bad that they made some of this stuff public. That was a mistake. But it sure seems to me like people are freaking out, launching investigations, and firing coaches because some kids are doing gay things. How is this not homophobia?

I have no dog in this fight. Maybe I'm just missing something.

WTF are you even talking about? Think for a second. This has nothing to do with being gay. Take the gay thing out of it totally. It would still be horrible if the women's captain made the freshman boys do things to her/in front of her. Get with the program.

Just Get Out There'n Have Fun wrote:

Any truth to the Pete Sherry to GU rumors? He would be the perfect man for the job.

Go Pete - best name mentioned so far.

As an original IC4A member, Georgetown has a long and storied track&field and xc history. However,there has been serious adversity like the current situation in this history. Perhaps the most notable of which is the strike by the team in the late 1960's against Coach Steve Benedek. The result was the ouster of "Benny", and the hiring of Frank Rienzo. The bottom line is that many great moments happened after this turmoil, and the program can rebound from the current situation.

Entering my senior year in high school, it is interesting reading all of this news. As a highly talented runner (1:51/4:11), yet closeted homo-sexual minority male, it has given me a lot to think about. It makes me think this was a witch hunt against some members of the team being DISCOVERED as gay. This is the most disturbing part of the the struggle to me.

SherrySaxa wrote:

Just Get Out There'n Have Fun wrote:

Any truth to the Pete Sherry to GU rumors? He would be the perfect man for the job.

Go Pete - best name mentioned so far.

how much experience does he have at the NCAA D1 level?

Disciplining team members?

Knowledge of and Complying to NCAA rules?

Etc.

Certainly there isn't much Centro doesn't know about bad behavior.

Just Get Out There'n Have Fun wrote:

Any truth to the Pete Sherry to GU rumors? He would be the perfect man for the job.

Why would Pete Sherry be the perfect man for the job?

Because he went to Georgetown? And lives in Northern Va? And is a nice guy?

Who has Pete Sherry ever coached? His high school teams are decent, but nothing spectacular. He's had a couple of national level high school athletes, but no super-H.S. studs.

Has he ever coached at the D1 level? Had to deal with recruiting, budget, travel, admissions, academic requirements - all while staying clear of the university's now-watchful eye?

If Georgetown was smart, they'd hire Nathan Taylor, have him clean up the attitude of the team, and move forward.

Oh, Sherry, C'mon my love wrote:

If Georgetown was smart, they'd hire Nathan Taylor, have him clean up the attitude of the team, and move forward.

Great idea. Two questions come to mind though. 1) why did he leave Cornell? Anybody know? 2) isn't he an expert in the jumps? Would we be turning gtown into a field events school?

Also, did you say that Pete Sherry is nice?? :)

Oh, Sherry, C'mon my love wrote:

If Georgetown was smart, they'd hire Nathan Taylor, have him clean up the attitude of the team, and move forward.

Why would Taylor come out of retirement (he did retire willingly, right)?

If Gtown did do that it would be transitional for sure and might hurt recruiting as kids would not be sure who their coach would be in a couple of years. They need a coach who will likely be there 15+ years to build a team that excels year in and year out with a good team culture.

i assume they will go outside and Smith is not being considered simply given the need to show change.

Benson DuBois wrote:

Entering my senior year in high school, it is interesting reading all of this news. As a highly talented runner (1:51/4:11), yet closeted homo-sexual minority male, it has given me a lot to think about. It makes me think this was a witch hunt against some members of the team being DISCOVERED as gay. This is the most disturbing part of the the struggle to me.

I disagree, I am almost sure this isn't what is going on. I know two openly gay athletes (a swimmer and tennis player), and they both say that Georgetown is a very tolerant place, and neither of them feel that their sexual orientation causes them to be viewed differently as athletes. The Georgetown athletic department couldn't care less about the sexual orientation of it's athletes, and as a Georgetown student, the idea of them going after gay athletes is completely ridiculous.

Sherry is a great man for the job. He ran at Georgetown during a bright period in their history, the early 90's. No he has not coached directly on the Division I level, but that does not mean he will not be able to do the job effectively.

Might be bias here, I ran under him in high school and he definitely has a more collegiate approach to coaching. I guarantee he would hold the team accountable while still maintaining a making sure they perform at a high level. He is passionate about the program and its success. At least he should be interviewed as a possible candidate for the vacancy.