LOL!! That is funny! Does anyone know when Leaders contract expires? I do think based on results there will be some warm butts in those seats. And clearly this incident won’t help matters. Is this data public? CP, is GCU trending in a good direction since Leader took over despite results?
Good question. Here's their chart: red is NCAA ARPI ranks, grey is my 5 Iteration ARPI, and Blue is Massey. Massey probably is the best. The formula on the chart is for Massey and says since it joined D1, the team's trend has been positive at the rate of about 3 rank positions per year. On the other hand, the ARPI has their rank trending in a slightly negative direction. (Orange is their rank as a contributor to opponents' strengths of schedule.) Since Leader's been there only three years, I don't do a separate chart for the time he's been there. You be the judge.
I am not sure why that is funny. Those are the allegations. For what it is worth I am a coach. But I know there are abusive ones out there. Whether this guy is or not, we would not know based on reports. But this issue does not appear to be going away. They just ran a segment about it on the news. The Phoenix TV station took cameras on campus and into the offices. They interviewed a player who said 'people are afraid to speak up'. Let's keep an eye on this one. What I do know though is that I would not want to play for someone who makes judgements without actual knowledge like CW.
Slow down turbo. You seem to want to convict the coach on the basis of allegations. If you read the article, you would know that one of the players in the lawsuit sent a text message to the coach thanking him for his help and everything he had done (this was after the alleged incident). The allegations of physical abuse through fitness were found to be exaggerated by the internal investigation. The girl claiming that the fitness caused the ACL tear, that just sounds ludicrous. And the fact that 6 of the 7 girls were recruited by the previous staff, and the 7th was a walk on, all makes it sound like they have an axe to grind. Doesn't sound like Leader is a saint by any stretch of the imagination, but if coaches are going to get fired for every player that doesn't like them, there won't be any coaches left. As Bill Cosby (I know, I know) once said, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try and please everyone."
No I did not want to convict him. I said on every post I have no idea if it is true. What I took issue with is CW saying the players and families were wrong and exaggerating when none of us have a clue as to the reality of the situation. You honestly think an internal investigation by a university is unbiased? Especially under the threat of financial liability? You do realize they would be harming themselves if they admit it is true, right? This is why companies often circle the wagons to protect leadership, even if the leadership is wrong. No idea if that is the case here, but a university investigating itself is not a real investigation. They are responsible for the employee's actions. The motive is there to cover up wrongdoing by an employee to protect themselves from financial liability.
I think maybe the way you are approaching this is a little comical Coach. As you stated these are allegations but you are clearly swaying towards the side of the accusers. I do know Derek and his program to an extent so yes I do believe this is total BS. But I also accept maybe I have a bias that from what I know/have heard from his side i think this story is exaggerated. Where I lie with this story is there are no actual facts to support the accusations only opinions for student athletes. And as the article says the majority of the athletes don’t feel this way so clearly most people feel they have a good experience at GCU.
I have never taken a side here. The only stance i have taken is to not judge what we do not know (players, parents, or coaches). At least you admit your side has a bias tint to it. I have only spoken in realities. We do not know. We will never really know. And, internal investigations are inherently biased. The TV said tonight that most players are afraid to speak. So which is accurate? The news article or the TV station? Again, we do not know. You also do not know what 'facts' are there. The university even conceded that the verbal attacks on players were accurate. So I guess some 'accusations' were supported despite your claim otherwise. I am flabbergasted at this conversation by grown adults. My entire stance has simply been that we do not know so do not judge any side. I am done trying to convince you all to be open minded. May someone never judge you so naively as some of you have done to the accusing players.
My first thought was that this was right, but on further thought I doubt very much that the ACC coaches think that way. Consider two things: 1. Here are the ACC's conference standings since 2007 (which is as far back as my data go), according to the only data (average ARPI) the Women's Soccer Committee is allowed to look at: 2007 #1 2008 #1 2009 #2 2010 #1 2011 #1 2012 #1 2013 #1 2014 #4 2015 #1 2016 #2 2017 #2 2018 #3 2. Yes, the ACC's #11 team got an at large selection this year. But, the #11.5 team in the SEC (#2 rank) also got a selection. The Women's Soccer Committee showed, pretty clearly in these and other decisions it made, that conference rank really matters. If the ACC coaches are smart, they have recognized that. And, I am confident they're smart, in fact very smart. They want to be the #1 conference because it matters for NCAA Tournament seeding and at large selection purposes. For the ACC to accomplish that, they need all of their conference teams to do really well in their non-conference games, including the ACC bottom dwellers.
The accusations are all that is wrong with athletics (and society) this day. One of the accusers says that after they played poorly, the coach told them to get their running shoes ready. That caused her emotional despair. Running until you puke is physical abuse. It's all crazy. Every coach has their way of doing things. If you want a softer approach, I am sure you can find one. Transfer. Anyone who is experiencing clinical emotional despair from a threat of running after a poor performance, doesn't need to be playing college athletics. "Abuse" is thrown around today flippantly. That is a serious accusation. It is easier than ever to transfer. It is college athletics. Parents running around suing coaches trying to get them fired. Anyone who can't see this for what it is, is blind. P.S. And FTR, I am not endorsing anything Coach Leader did or was even accused of. I am merely saying it DOES NOT fall under abuse.
"Abuse," assuming it is not physical, can be a subjective term--especially when referring to psychological or emotional abuse. What is to one person an old-school, tough-love approach is to another some form of abuse. And that most certainly applies to the players on a team, a few of whom (or more) may feel a coach is abusive--or just an unpleasant hard ass who is bad for morale, if you wish--while others tolerate the tough talking, hard-man approach. And indeed this is how these situations usually arise, when some players, but not all, feel that the coach is a problem. And then the issue can be, how many feel that way--a couple or seven? And what exactly is the behavior in question? Are we talking a few isolated incidents or a pattern of behavior. Is a coach simply demanding...or toxic? Let's us note that the Australian NT coach was just sacked because of his coaching behavior--reportedly, bullying, among other issues. It's also been said by some Houston Dash fans that Vera Pauw was forced out because she was a hard ass and many of the players seriously disliked playing for her--and weren't going to play for her is she was brought back. (Technically, she resigned.) There were problems with the recent NZ NT coach, who did not have a very high opinion of his players and apparently let them know that regularly. Bit of a problem--he was ousted. There are lines that surely should not be crossed, but people interpret things differently (which is why the parents of bullies can never imagine that their sweet son is abusing other kids at school). With respect to the Australian NT coach, some players had a problem with him; others, apparently, did not. If a school investigates and finds that half the team is very unhappy because the coach subscribes to the Bob Knight School of Kicking Butts, then the program may have an problem. Or maybe not: Maybe the top players on the team say they appreciate his high standards and like being pushed. Or because administrators--athletic directors and others--have their own varying viewpoints and interpretations of coaching methods and behavior. It's quite possible that with another group of administrators, the Australian NT coach is still in his job. We've seen a number of these situations in recent years, and, my point is, they are difficult because there are gray areas when it comes to the methods and personalities of demanding coaches and how their methods are interpreted.
There is a big difference in "the players don't want to play or perform for a coach", and "he is abusing us." One is a serious accusation that we should take seriously and let the judicial system sort out criminal repercussions. The other is a man management issue that will be dealt with if results don't meet the standard set before them. A civil discussion on whether a coach is getting the most out of the team he is coaching and whether a change in leadership would get better results is one thing. Suing and going to the media because someone's daughter threw up after running and then tying that to abuse is another. Sadly, this is becoming the norm, and some posters on here trying to legitimize it are equally part of the problem. Parents and players should do homework on who they are signing up to play for. If you don't like the culture, coaching style, etc, then go somewhere that fits what you are looking for. If a coach gets fired, and a new coach comes in, understand, all of those things maybe changing and you may need to change where you are. This is akin to suing starbucks because you spilled your coffee on yourself.
"Suing and going to the media because someone's daughter threw up after running and then tying that to abuse is another. Sadly, this is becoming the norm, and some posters on here trying to legitimize it are equally part of the problem." THIS!!!! This is becoming the norm. Soccer is a running sport. More frequently than ever athletes are making accusations related to conditioning as a scapegoat for not being in shape for a sport that requires conditioning.
"You do realize they would be harming themselves if they admit it is true, right? This is why companies often circle the wagons to protect leadership, even if the leadership is wrong" This is a naive statement. There are at least an equal number of examples on both sides of the aisle. Athletic departments have let coaches go based merely on accusations, innuendo and cases played out in the court of public opinion. Often times it is to save face, wipe the slate clean and simply move on - whether the coach was guilty or not. There are actually examples where an investigation was conducted (by parties outside the university as well) with no proof of wrongdoing and the coach was still let go. To say the pendulum doesn't swing both ways is simply naive. In reference to Asheville, I also don't think there is anything wrong with taking a job and moving on 10 months (or so) later to a job that may be closer to home, funded better and/or simply a better situation. This is a business and she has the right to do what is best for her personally and vocationally.
I find it hard to believe that a SWAC school is better funded in women's soccer, no facts, just belief. However, if it is true, all the more reason to be disappointed with the previous coach's record and her subsequent hire at UTEP.
If the accusations are proven false and/or grossly exaggerated, then there should be some repercussions on the accusers.
The article has stated that a review has taken place and much of it was exaggerated. It was an internal review. Basically the accusation that he 1 time called them names is not a good look. There are repercussions on that for him and his staff. The University are certainly within their rights to let him go for that. It is the going to the media and suing people that confuses me. Being scared because your coach threatened to run you over a poor performance and running until you throw up seems to be within the realm of being a college athlete I would think. Players don't want to have to work hard. Parent don't want to see their children upset. And this is how actual real live people choose to deal with it. Geeee I wonder what is wrong with their kids?
Coaches don't hold all the cards anymore. Some of the stuff that came out from that - having a player use their own credit card to buy meals/drinks for the team, some of the 'joking' with players about their boyfriends and sex lives, their menstrual cycles - that gets you fired today, dynasty or not, because it would involve lawsuits against the university. Even a 'legendary' coach in a non-revenue sport would be sweating it. Then you widen the lens, and see that both his assistants married players? Doesn't make for great optics.
there were lawsuits then. they were settled. im surprised that in the current #metoo world it has not been dug up again
Another week goes by and Syracuse still doesn't have a head coach in place. When will they turn to the asst.? Ultimately that's what they have to do, right? When you get turned down by a first year head coach who decides to stay at WMU, you know it's in really bad shape.
The expectations must be crazy for so many people to reject the job. This hire will ultimately be very underwhelming. But I still believe if they have half an idea of how to coach they will be better that Wheddon that guy was clueless.