An independent investigation of the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay men’s basketball program provided several inconclusive conclusions, but one that rings loudly for all athletics directors and coaches is:
“3. The lack of a clear standard for conduct by coaches, and the sharply disputed facts, make it difficult to evaluate the charges that Coach Wardle verbally abused the players on the men’s basketball team. In the future, it is important that UWGB clarify the standard for all of its coaches. The coaches should know whether they are held to a strict standard as advocated by the parents of JD1, JD2 and JD3, or a more flexible ‘Division I’ standard advocated by Coach Wardle.”
The investigation sought to clarify and validate or refute accusations made by one current and two former players (and their parents) about physical and verbal abuse by head coach Brian Wardle.
The entire report can be found here. Media coverage can be found here.
It’s a 39-page report detailing interviews with more than two dozen individuals associated with the UWGB men’s basketball program. This attorney, and several of his associates, spent dozens of hours on this investigation over a six-week period. If the going rate for attorneys is $250 – $500 per hour, you can do some simple math and see that this cost UWGB considerable money… and yielded no conclusive evidence beyond a “he said/he said” account.
Ignorance is Not an Excuse
The big issue here is not knowing. And it’s not knowing on two levels: first, administrators did not know what student-athletes were feeling, thinking and allegedly experiencing; second, the coach did not know what standards he was being held to. Both add up to a complicated mess that embarrasses the coach, program and university. And it all could have been avoided.
While hiring an attorney to conduct an independent investigation was the right course of action, it is reactionary. If coaches are or are not abusing players is a significant issue. Shouldn’t administrators pay more attention to what’s going on before something bad happens?
Responding to Allegations
Brian Wardle did not lose his job but has a list of conditions of his employment including being assigned an “advisor” next year to help him learn how to better motivate players.
More importantly, the University is responding with two critical action items: one, it will create a clear “Statement of Expectations” for all coaches and staff; two, it will “…work to ensure student athletes know how they can communicate concerns without fear of reprisal.”
Make the Effort to Understand
There are three benefits to proactively conducting student-athlete experience assessments:
- You just may find something. Even if you think you have the pulse of the student-athlete experience, issues and themes may reveal themselves during an assessment process.
- Your student-athletes will feel valued. Just the act of inquiring and asking for feedback demonstrate the athletics department cares about its student-athletes and their experiences.
- Establish evidence of attention. Even if nothing significant surfaces during assessment, you will have a track record of engaging student-athletes and asking for feedback.
Like it or not, right or wrong, students (and their parents) are different than they were a generation ago. Coaches and administrators need to be conscious of what the athletics experience means to student-athletes and their expectations.
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