UMgradMSUdad

May 19th, 2015 at 12:48 AM ^

The assistant coach is already gone.  I would be surprised if the head coach lasts the week. Some of the criticism definitely seems warranted.  Coaches should not be revealing personal or medical information about players to the rest of the team and injured players should not be pressured to play through injuries, especially when playing is likely to make the injury worse. Otoh, there seems to be a much different climate in coach to player relationship than when I was a player, and it does seem that some high school stars just can not deal with the fact that at a D1 school they might just be better help the team as role players.

As to racism, here is an excerpt from Taylor Gleason's parents (parents of one of the three players who have written letters), Btw, Gleason is white.

RACISM

Taylor was internally tormented with not only the abuse she was receiving but many of her teammates as well. Only "Certain girls" were invited up to the offices. Taylor and many other players were never invited up to the offices. The coaches would refer to the former coaches' players and Taylor as CRABS which meant that they were a part of a losing culture and would threaten them with D league practices. This threat meant that they would sit on the sidelines so as not to infect the new culture, their players and what they were trying to do.

Joined: 07/02/2011

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Spunky

May 19th, 2015 at 2:15 AM ^

Sad stuff in those letters from the parents. And I'm uncomfortable even thinking about those in-home meetings alone with the assistant coach, who was quickly fired or resigned during these allegations. 

Anyway, one letter mentioned Walton: "What is also unbelievable is that [Taylor] was forced by Sam to play on what she thought was Turf Toe especially after the point guard for the University of Michigan's men's team missed the last 6 weeks of the season in a boot and a cart for Turf Toe. Not a fractured toe."

Joined: 09/12/2012

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LSAClassOf2000

May 19th, 2015 at 7:04 AM ^

The letters also noted that Bollant and Divilbiss created racial tension among players by derogatorily noting the race of Illini players and opponents and attributing racial stereotypes to each. The families allege black players mostly recruited by former coach Jolette Laws, who was fired by Thomas, at one point were called “crabs” by the current coaches.

You know, between this and the allegation of forcing players with mono and a broken foot as well as a high ankle sprain (throw in the allegations of mistratement in the football program for good measure), Illinois has a case to surpass Rutgers as the conference's shittiest athletic department when it comes to culture. I am not surprised at all that the calls for heads go all the way up to the AD in this case.

The Daily Illini story has some damning stuff in it too - LINK

“(Coaches) joked about, ‘Oh well, we are playing an all-black team now, they think they are going to run over us, but we are going to put the girls from the West side out on them,” Coleman said. “As coaches you are their protection, and they should not be subjected involved in anything like that.”

I mean, my question to Bollant would be this - as a coach, why the hell would you say things like this?

Joined: 01/07/2011

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Raoul

May 19th, 2015 at 12:12 PM ^

Glad you posted the Daily Illini link, because they were the ones who broke this story.

Taylor Gleason, by the way, was originally committed to Michigan. She switched to Illinois after Borseth returned to Green Bay (after Bollant left for Illinois) and Barnes Arico was hired at Michigan. Ironically enough, she's now transferring to Oakland, where the previous coach was fired after allegations arose accusing her of player abuse.

There have been a number of abuse allegations in women's basketball lately, including at Wichita State, where about two dozen players have transferred out over the course of 7 seasons. The head coach there somehow survived the latest, well-publicized allegations, so I'm not entirely convinced Bollant is a goner.

Joined: 09/29/2009

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Sac Fly

May 19th, 2015 at 8:16 AM ^

Besides an ill-advised comment about playing an all black team, there are no other examples of racism in either of these articles.

Of course the media jumps on it because OMG Rasict! But calling a player on the team a crab and calling your entire bench the "Dog Pound" is not racism. It's not right, but it's not racism.

Joined: 04/03/2010

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Perkis-Size Me

May 19th, 2015 at 9:38 AM ^

Illinois is right up there with the likes of Purdue and Rutgers, where competitive sports just go to die. Wouldn't be surprised if the AD is thrown out of town too. He's hitched his wagon up with Tim Beckman, and from what I understand, no one in Champaign wants Beckman around anymore.



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