Interesting that I don't see any discussion of Matt Esche on LetsRun so far. He was let go from UAB this weekend after several former runners from UAB and from his days at Bradley posted on social media about being subjected to weight shaming and racism under his coaching.
From today's Fast Women newsletter:
Last week, several former University of Alabama at Birmingham cross country and track & field athletes spoke out about their experiences on the team. It started with a since-deleted post, alleging racism and mental and emotional abuse by head cross country coach and associate head track & field coach, Matt Esche. Others joined in. The original poster said that because the administration had not dealt with the matter in a manner they deemed suitable, they were making their stories public. Eight athletes he had coached at Bradley University (where he was for five years, before coaching at UAB) signed a letter saying they experienced “persistent and egregious body shaming” while being coached by Esche. One former Bradley runner wrote in more depth about her experience. It’s impossible to get a full picture of what went on from snippets on social media, but on Sunday evening, Fast Women learned from two sources close to the situation that Esche is no longer coaching at UAB.