Who are candidates for the Louisville position?

[jcgatennismom]

Rex is gone. With almost 30 years as a coach, he has a lot of fans as well as detractors. He had a NCAA #1 player, but in recent years, it seems he had too many transfers-not just guys who sat on the bench but top of his lineup guys like Parker Wynn or ITF circuit winning dubs players like Lock. He would bring in a lot of freshmen-some years 6, but half or more would be gone by soph year. Last year 6 of the 12 guys on roster were freshmen and there were no sophs.

This is a plum ACC job in a good size city-no reason with the right coach that Louisville cant be back in the middle of ACC and compete with Kentucky. Kentucky got one of the top freshmen for this upcoming year Canadian Liam Draxl (UTR 13.91 with some MD challenger wins (Keegan Smith, Jordi Arconada)) along with a couple other Canadians. Lville got a Canadian too but a 12.0-think Lville's best recruit for 2019 is a 12.5. Will the new coach be a former asst at one of the top ACC schools?

 

[Nastase]

No idea who gets the job but to do this in mid-August is weird. If this is their decision it should have been made a while ago since the kids are back now. Louisville is a good job and they have decent facilities but its a long way up in the ACC. In addition to chasing UVa-UNC-Wake, Clemson has a new facility and GT's new class is fantastic. FSU/NCSU are really solid. Its likely UL will have a lull.

 

[jcgatennismom]

No idea who gets the job but to do this in mid-August is weird. If this is their decision it should have been made a while ago since the kids are back now. Louisville is a good job and they have decent facilities but its a long way up in the ACC. In addition to chasing UVa-UNC-Wake, Clemson has a new facility and GT's new class is fantastic. FSU/NCSU are really solid. Its likely UL will have a lull.

Yes, I meant U of L could aim for middle of the pack in 2021 or later with new coach. Regardless of talent of coach, he will only have existing roster to work with unless he gets last min Jan recruit. Duke has a great class this year as well as GT. Louisville being a bigger city close to South and Mid-west definitely has recruiting advantages over Clemson which is still a 30 min drive to Greenville, a small city, unless recruit is a diehard football fan. Not a lot in Clemson besides a big stadium.

 

[andfor]

Met Rex a few times and he was always very pleasant. We have mutual friends and he was always very complementary of all them. I know about some of his detractors and I took all those I heard as mostly sour grapes due to highly competitive situations. The news of his release is a surprise to me. From what little I know he had no complaints filed against him by players, parents, etc. The press release and lack of specifics pointing to reasons for his release are strange.

I think Jakob Gustafsson is capable of running the program. My guess is they will try to find more experience. I think UL Men's Tennis could benefit from new blood like Gustafsson or finding a proven assistant like Wes Nott (just recently announced UTRGV Head Woman's coach, too late) or a young former head coach like a Mark Finnegan (over in Ireland now). Louisville U. does have a lot to offer, nice campus, great conference in the ACC, Bass Rudd tennis center, solid sport programs, facilities and climate. Louisville also has a good public school reputation. Let's not digress to the academic snobbery conversation please. UofL MT as @jcgatennismom said is a "plum job".

 

[jcgatennismom]

@andfor This article came out today https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...llied-players-investigation-found/2049842001/
Allegations include forcing players to play injured against the advice of the trainer, sexist/racist/discriminatory remarks, and making players practice in freezing conditions, on their off days, and in excess of NCAA allowed hours. If these allegations are true, Rex is lucky to be paid the balance of his contract (3 years remaining).

29 years is a long time to coach at one place, and what might have be acceptable behavior to "motivate" players 25 years ago wont fly today. As far as the weather allegations, southern junior players often played winter tourneys in 35 degrees outside due to lack of indoor courts-they just wore layers and sometimes were in shorts by the 2nd set. All the letters in support of Rex from parents and former players imply he ran a good program for a long time but slipped in recent years... There can be a thin line between pushing a player to be their best and bullying. One of my son's favorite junior coaches practiced tough love which was just what son needed at 13 and 14; most players accepted it because they knew the coach personally cared for them and it weeded out the less serious players. However, I met a few parents who disliked that coach because they thought he was too hard on kids.

 

[andfor]

@andfor This article came out today https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...llied-players-investigation-found/2049842001/
Allegations include forcing players to play injured against the advice of the trainer, sexist/racist/discriminatory remarks, and making players practice in freezing conditions, on their off days, and in excess of NCAA allowed hours. If these allegations are true, Rex is lucky to be paid the balance of his contract (3 years remaining).

29 years is a long time to coach at one place, and what might have be acceptable behavior to "motivate" players 25 years ago wont fly today. As far as the weather allegations, southern junior players often played winter tourneys in 35 degrees outside due to lack of indoor courts-they just wore layers and sometimes were in shorts by the 2nd set. All the letters in support of Rex from parents and former players imply he ran a good program for a long time but slipped in recent years... There can be a thin line between pushing a player to be their best and bullying. One of my son's favorite junior coaches practiced tough love which was just what son needed at 13 and 14; most players accepted it because they knew the coach personally cared for them and it weeded out the less serious players. However, I met a few parents who disliked that coach because they thought he was too hard on kids.

Reading the report I get the feeling he may be getting railroaded by the AD. They are going to pay out is contract, no NCAA sanctions, strange. Just my opinion.

 

[atatu]

I think jacgatennismom is right that this is a case of an old school coach not changing with the times and adapting to today's climate. Also, the guy hired a lawyer who is a part time cartoonist ?

 

[andfor]

I think jacgatennismom is right that this is a case of an old school coach not changing with the times and adapting to today's climate. Also, the guy hired a lawyer who is a part time cartoonist ?

The way press release reads they have made it look he was an old school coach with some social issues. Still no NCAA sanctions and relieving him of duty with pay says something about the lack of depth to the investigation. The lawyer mentioned as being a cartoonist is either simply a trivial reference to the guys artistic side job, or an negative insinuation he makes comedic caricatures or is a doodler. My guess is the latter.

 

[atatu]

The way press release reads they have made it look he was an old school coach with some social issues. Still no NCAA sanctions and relieving him of duty with pay says something about the lack of depth to the investigation. The lawyer mentioned as being a cartoonist is either simply a trivial reference to the guys artistic side job, or an negative insinuation he makes comedic caricatures or is a doodler. My guess is the latter.

I think they felt they needed to disclose that the lawyer was an employee of their newspaper.

 

[MarTennis]

I think they felt they needed to disclose that the lawyer was an employee of their newspaper.

Bingo

 

[bobleenov1963]

@andfor This article came out today https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...llied-players-investigation-found/2049842001/
Allegations include forcing players to play injured against the advice of the trainer, sexist/racist/discriminatory remarks, and making players practice in freezing conditions, on their off days, and in excess of NCAA allowed hours. If these allegations are true, Rex is lucky to be paid the balance of his contract (3 years remaining).

29 years is a long time to coach at one place, and what might have be acceptable behavior to "motivate" players 25 years ago wont fly today. As far as the weather allegations, southern junior players often played winter tourneys in 35 degrees outside due to lack of indoor courts-they just wore layers and sometimes were in shorts by the 2nd set. All the letters in support of Rex from parents and former players imply he ran a good program for a long time but slipped in recent years... There can be a thin line between pushing a player to be their best and bullying. One of my son's favorite junior coaches practiced tough love which was just what son needed at 13 and 14; most players accepted it because they knew the coach personally cared for them and it weeded out the less serious players. However, I met a few parents who disliked that coach because they thought he was too hard on kids.

With what going on in the news about Harvey Weinstein, Larry Nassar, etc... and especially with the metoo and timeup movements, Universities will not put up with thing like sexist and racist overtone by coaches. What was acceptable behavior twenty five years ago will not be tolerated today. He should have known better. If he didn't, he has no business being a college tennis coach.

 

[andfor]

With what going on in the news about Harvey Weinstein, Larry Nassar, etc... and especially with the metoo and timeup movements, Universities will not put up with thing like sexist and racist overtone by coaches. What was acceptable behavior twenty five years ago will not be tolerated today. He should have known better. If he didn't, he has no business being a college tennis coach.

Sure. But if any of what is reported is true why are their no infractions NCAA or criminal and why would you let someone go under the circumstances reported with pay? In this case paying out the remainder of his contract? With the details regarding his release as they are reported today, I stand by my assertion Rex got railroaded.

 

[bobleenov1963]

Sure. But if any of what is reported is true why are their no infractions NCAA or criminal and why would you let someone go under the circumstances reported with pay? In this case paying out the remainder of his contract? With the details regarding his release as they are reported today, I stand by my assertion Rex got railroaded.

Isn't Kentucky one of the "rights to work" states? Rex should be grateful that the university paid the remainder of his contract instead of just letting him without having to pay him a dime. There might not be NCAA infractions or criminal behaviors by Rex but there might be something embarrassing that the university does not want to reveal so they just want to pay Rex for the remainder in the contract. If you think about it, the money the university paid him is nothing compares to Bobby Petrino. If the university can keep a lying, cheat with no morality character football coach Bobby Petrino and basketball coach Rick Pittino, they would not have any problems keeping Rex. Therefore, Rex must had done something to embarrass the university, IMHO.

 

[andfor]

Isn't Kentucky one of the "rights to work" states? Rex should be grateful that the university paid the remainder of his contract instead of just letting him without having to pay him a dime. There might not be NCAA infractions or criminal behaviors by Rex but there might be something embarrassing that the university does not want to reveal so they just want to pay Rex for the remainder in the contract. If you think about it, the money the university paid him is nothing compares to Bobby Petrino. If the university can keep a lying, cheat with no morality character football coach Bobby Petrino and basketball coach Rick Pittino, they would not have any problems keeping Rex. Therefore, Rex must had done something to embarrass the university, IMHO.

You're assuming in the face of what information we know and comparing apples and oranges. If there is an NCAA infraction or one pending it would be public knowledge.

 

[bobleenov1963]

You're assuming in the face of what information we know and comparing apples and oranges. If there is an NCAA infraction or one pending it would be public knowledge.

I admit that I don't know much about this case. I do know that the university can easily get rid of an employee in a "right to work" state without a valid reason. My company can fire me for smoking even when I am not working and there is nothing I can do about it. Rex could get fired for paying for sex and I don't think that is an NCAA infraction, isn't it?

 

[andfor]

I admit that I don't know much about this case. I do know that the university can easily get rid of an employee in a "right to work" state without a valid reason. My company can fire me for smoking even when I am not working and there is nothing I can do about it. Rex could get fired for paying for sex and I don't think that is an NCAA infraction, isn't it?

He wasn't fired for reasons related to Right to Work. Read the article. When you figure out what reported allegations are NCAA violations let me know. It's not that difficult. Are you as much a jerk in person as you are on this forum? Or is it simply it English is not your first language or just your writing style I may be misinterpreting?

 

[jcgatennismom]

https://www.wdrb.com/read-the-compl...pdf_a10666d4-c355-11e9-9036-afe6e5e69522.html 21 pages of allegations and responses based on interviews with over a dozen people including players, trainers, volunteer assistant, etc. However, on coach's twitter, he has a lot support plus he mentions his friendships with CEO of X company and president of Y company. The university may be paying out the balance of his contract to avoid conflict with community leaders and donors who have had a positive relationship with Rex. The fact that the volunteer assistant said he left because of the mistreatment of players and the abuse of time management is particularly troubling. Some could dismiss player complaints as sour grapes for not getting to play, but if most of the team had complaints that is a different story. The preponderance of evidence-albeit "player said/coach denies" implies there was some mistreatment going on with the worse being intimidating players to play injured, denying players' need for special meals due to food allergies or sensitivities, and changing schedules at the last minute or adding practices beyond approved hours-serious issues that affected players' health and ability to balance academics and athletics. Then there were the inappropriate remarks and the alleged inappropriate requirement for players to play with his junior sons. That is believable to me as I heard that after recruits accepted Facebook messages from the coach, his sons would request recruits to be Facebook friends which was rather creepy. That was in the days when FB was still used-now it is all IG and Snapchat.

Ironically U of L could have just fired Rex for a subpar performance in ACC. These issues probably had been going on for several years, but maybe they were not investigated when the coach was sending teams and players to the NCAAs. Certainly he had a fair higher transfer rate of freshmen than most universities. There were rumors in the southern section for at least 3-4 years without specifics but just to avoid program.

All this said, I think a coach can be demanding without being demeaning. High expectations, hard practices can be hallmarks of a great program if the goal is to make players better but in 2019 there is no need for the Marine style model of breaking players down and insulting them before building them up.

 

[JAJ]

I admit that I don't know much about this case. I do know that the university can easily get rid of an employee in a "right to work" state without a valid reason. My company can fire me for smoking even when I am not working and there is nothing I can do about it. Rex could get fired for paying for sex and I don't think that is an NCAA infraction, isn't it?

I'm no expert on this stuff but I did spend 23 years in the employee benefits/HR business. My understanding of a "right to work" state is different from what what you have described. "Right to work" laws as I understand them were passed in states looking to discourage formation of labor unions. A "right to work" state is one in which a labor union can't mandate workplace union membership as a condition of employment, thus subjecting an individual employee to collective representation by a union (and dues payment) if they don't want it. I don't know if Kentucky is a right to work state or not, but I'm wondering if you might be thinking about "at will" employment agreements, in which an employer can get rid of anyone without any obligation to specify a reason, as long as they are not doing so in a discriminatory fashion.

 

[Deleted member 766172]

You guys think I would have a shot at this job?

 

[andfor]

You guys think I would have a shot at this job?

Yes. Tell the AD you will handle players with kid gloves and have a chaperone with you at all times. That will get you the job for sure.

 

[Clemson_tennis]

Yes, I meant U of L could aim for middle of the pack in 2021 or later with new coach. Regardless of talent of coach, he will only have existing roster to work with unless he gets last min Jan recruit. Duke has a great class this year as well as GT. Louisville being a bigger city close to South and Mid-west definitely has recruiting advantages over Clemson which is still a 30 min drive to Greenville, a small city, unless recruit is a diehard football fan. Not a lot in Clemson besides a big stadium.

I mean student athletes from many sports choose Clemson every year. Great athletic facilities and a pretty good college town type of atmosphere with growing student housing areas with plenty of things to do. I don't think student athletes really need a bustling city while in college as many of them spend most of their time with their teammates, even during free time. That's more of like a young professional concern than a student athlete one. There's nothing inherently less attractive about Clemson than Starkvile, Oxford, College Station, Auburn, etc.