2021-22 Hot Seat

My recollection was it looked likely he got terminated for breaking their rule that forbids making public political statements (understandable for Army, if you think about it).

 

I think it was that and a number of other things. At the end of the day, he was a terrible cultural fit for Army.

 

Thank you both. I had never heard a reason for his termination. I do agree that he was a terrible cultural fit, just based on his social media activity while he was employed there.

 

Who cares about someone’s social media activity? I get that he was at Army, but are people no longer allowed to have opinions on anything? If that was truly one of the main reasons he was let go, that’s a sad state of affairs and reflects a belly soft interior for West Point. Good lord.

 

Honestly, if you're at the Academies, you are a reflection of the Academies and your behavior should mirror what is expected at the service institutions.

It's really no more different than say a staunchly liberal university letting go of a prof because his personal beliefs do not align with popular social media.

 

I simply said he was a poor cultural fit, based on his social media activity. If you saw what I saw, no doubt that you would agree. I did not say he deserve to get terminated, because I do not know the Academy policies. But, if what someone said above is accurate about a rule that "forbids making public political statements", then he clearly violated it.

I would add that when you are a leader of a diverse group of individuals, I believe that your social media activity should be sensitive to that, as it is a reflection of your beliefs. He was not sensitive to the individuals that he led.

 

In the cases of Army, Navy, and the Air Force Academy, they all exist for the purpose of providing military officers to serve the United States government, regardless of who is in power at any particular time. All officers have standards they must meet, including certain ones that apply to their public lives. My understanding from the Blewitt situation is that one of those was to refrain from some types of public political pronouncements. (You do not see active military leadership providing endorsements in Presidential campaigns, for example.) There is a long history behind these kinds of rules for the military. They do not apply to and have nothing to do with rules that non-military academic institutions may have. There are very good reasons to have these kinds of rules for the military academies in the USA -- unless you are a fan of military juntas.

 

Fully agree that those academies are there to produce one thing first and foremost: military officers.

Air Force hire seems like a good person, hope she can do well with that program. There is work to be done.

 

Agree. These kinds of schools generally self-select. Sometimes folks say it as if the school does the recruiting. Kinda like the Ivys. So, among those military bound super smart kids, which academy do you attend?

We all have our biases but no-brainer for me is Navy. Not only is Gabarra awesome and proven as a coach, so is her main asst Rob Blanck. She has to be one of the longest serving coaches in D1 at this point. Plus Annapolis is perhaps one of the coolest college towns in the States. You literally walk off campus into a beautiful historic colonial city that is a waterfront boating mecca but also a State Capital that is always buzzing.

Serving in uniform and doing things like living in a submarine is the trade off and not for everyone! Sorry Air Force, wish you well but you're third best....

 

Gary Higgins to East Carolina.

https://ecupirates.com/news/2022/3/8/higgins-to-lead-ecu-soccer-program.aspx

 

Oz Bakirdan to Illinois Wesleyan. (22-year Men's head coach at Illinois Central College)

https://www.iwusports.com/news/2022...rdan-named-iwus-head-womens-soccer-coach.aspx

 

I did not see nor do I care about people’s social media posts. And while I understand that the academies are different, he is not an officer leading them to battle. He is a civilian. Not surprising in today’s everyone is offended by everything society though. Might not be the worst thing to have someone who presents differing viewpoints (referring to the professor at a liberal institution) rather than everyone following the company line that may or may not prove to be correct down the road. Society as a whole is headed to a period of isolationism where people will live only near those that think like them. How will we ever bridge the gaps that exist if people are so intolerant of differing viewpoints. I’m talking in general here. I didn’t see any posts of his, but if they were extremely offensive, I have a feeling we would have heard about it.

 

Not a HC move but Bryan Blitz is headed to Washington State as an AC. Kinda amazed that he accepted an AC position. Was he forced out of Mizzou?

 

His were offensive. I saw them. When you are a leader and you have black people on your team, you do not promote racists or racism. He also made political posts, which is apparently a violation as a West Point employee.

I should add that it is telling that he has since deleted the posts I am referencing. So I would say there is some truth to what others are saying about the reason for his termination.

 

My first thought too when I saw it. For him to move to a small town halfway across the country for an assistant position, makes me think he was forced out too. I legit thought he retired at Mizzou.

 

The military academies are not the usual colleges. They are there to train military officers. The military is not the place for expressing differing views and having dissension. It is to provide leadership, order, and soldiers have to follow orders. It isn’t for everyone but there is a reason for the rules and structure. Anyone at a military academy has to support the mission otherwise go coach somewhere else

 

Whatever, he sure blewitt!

 

I think this looks like a strong hire and the horizon league domination will continue for Milwaukee.

How has SIU still not announced?

 

Heard that Northern Illinois should be announcing shortly. I didn't hear a name but was told the players know who the new coach will be. Of course "soon" may be a relative term because a current parent told me the Milwaukee decision was made a couple weeks before the official announcement. I guess these things take time to finalize.

 

What racist posts are you talking about??? I didn’t see anything like that. That’s a pretty heavy accusation to throw out!

 

He deleted them. Let's leave it at that.

 

bullshit! You accuse him of that with no evidence and hide behind an anonymous profile.

 

Believe as you wish. He was terminated at least in part based on his social media according to a couple of other posters. So obviously his posting was inappropriate. He also deleted the posts. But, yeah, I am the one lying.

 

That may be, but it certainly wasn’t racist, so yes you are lying about that and it’s pretty disgusting!