SRU

[ironmaniup]

Re: SRU

The nice part of the PA state schools like Slippery Rock is that their legal counsel is all collective in Harrisburg. SRU won't pay anything for their legal fees. That's all Harrisburg since SRU is an extension of a state agency.

This is true, but its not all a good thing. My experience is that their main goal is to keep negative publicity at a minimum at all costs. Also compare a private attorney that benefits directly from the outcome of a case to a state salaried attorney, who would be difficult to fire.

[boatcapt]

Re: SRU

He still isn't actually terminated yet, either.

What if they determine they can't fire him? He has 3 years left on his contract. Do the players walk back out? Quite the circus.

I think they are beyond the point of no return but without legit cause he could be leaving town with a hefty bag of cash.

If they have removed him from a position with a perceived stature, like Head Basketball Coach, and assigned him to a position with a lower perceived stature, he probably has a case for Wrongful Demotion. If he quits because of the demotion, he probably has a case for Constructive Termination.

Agencies screw the pooch all the time on things like this. Unless you are an at-will employee, you can only fire/demote an employee for specific articulable reasons (cause). Typically, the employer is going to have to show that they took some steps to rehabilitate the employee and bring him back to full performance unless the violation was egregious. Only hearing part of one side of the story but testifying in court (provided the testimony was truthful) is not a removable offense (even if it reflected negatively on SRU)...I would think having a low graduation rate would only be a fireable offense if it was sustained and dramatically lower than other sports at the same school AND the school had taken steps to address the problem with Reynolds in the past. I'm sure there is the SRU administration side of the case that runs about 180 degrees counter to Reynolds side...The truth is probably in the middle (and we probably will never know what it is).

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: SRU

He's isn't reassigned. He's suspended. Not sure if he's getting paid or not.

[IUPalum]

Re: SRU

I've read the Reynolds civil complaint and it reads a lot like the Edinboro women's VB lawsuit complaint against the Edinboro AD: several less than ideal things happened, Reynolds interprets them as unfair and retaliatory in nature, give him money.

For those who don't have it: he believes that he's the victim of unfair treatment because he testified in the basketball player wrongful death civil suit in a way that wouldn't necessarily look flattering for SRU and his graduation rate isn't what the president would like. He also says that trainers refuse to tape his players ankles for practice, he complained, the AD did nothing. Now this suspension. Makes no mention of player walkout. A lot of he said/he said stuff that's probably unable to be proven in court without evidence or a confession that points to intent/motive.

Of course it reads nothing about the player walk out because that looks bad for him. I had a friend viewing a practice just before the walk out. He said the whole practice was nothing but the coach (Reynolds) and players MFing each other. It was a very uncomfortable and not a healthy situation for either side.

[IUPalum]

Re: SRU

He's isn't reassigned. He's suspended. Not sure if he's getting paid or not.

CORRECT!

I know most coaches verbally get on players but this situation sounds extreme. If the players walked out because of that, he could be fired based on lack of professionalism.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: SRU

CORRECT!

I know most coaches verbally get on players but this situation sounds extreme. If the players walked out because of that, he could be fired based on lack of professionalism.

Unfortunately if that happens the union would probably fight it. They act just like the pro sports unions. They'll defend a jerk out of solidarity.

[hawks16]

Re: SRU

The nice part of the PA state schools like Slippery Rock is that their legal counsel is all collective in Harrisburg. SRU won't pay anything for their legal fees. That's all Harrisburg since SRU is an extension of a state agency.

SRU as a State System school and Kevin Reynolds as a state employee also means any and all documents involved are public record, if anyone is interested in filing an FOIA request.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: SRU

So, if our couch detective math lined up with the reported number of graduated players, KR was getting slightly below the national average for D2 basketball. His number wasn't that far below the reported average.

I have a hard time comprehending that SRU can all the sudden make this a big item in regards to his employment. While there is a new president, he cannot 'back date' his graduation expectations of the basketball program. The university lived with the 'performance' of the program for a decade. The new sheriff in town could set expectations for moving forward but unless KR was given specific (in writing) player academic performance requirements (seems doubtful) ... not sure they can do much with it now -- from a human resources and legal angle.

I'm sure they've been digging these past five weeks since he was suspended. It's not easy to just can these guys when they have three years left on their contract and they get (very strong) union protection -- especially without a well-defined, documented reason.

The tricky thing is all of this stuff has gone on there for 10 years. All the sudden it's an issue. That's going to cause SRU some problems from a legal view. New president, sure, but it's not a new AD. They have every right to make a change ... but it may cost them some serious coin.


The actual basketball team is in serious jeopardy. These cast-off teams can die real quick when things go south. At 1-4 (0-4 vs. D2) ... things aren't good. They do get a KR schedule favorite tonight in Ohio University-Eastern so they'll win by about 60 points. But, if they are near 7-8 losses by the time Santa shows up (possible) ... Grady may have a real hard time keeping them together.

Grady is the other interesting angle in this story. He's been there 8 years ... nearly the entire Reynolds era. I understand the top assistant isn't held to the measurements as the head coach but it seems odd to pin the entire actions of the program on just one person.

[WarriorVoice]

Re: SRU

Tell you one thing .. they are 4-1 or 5-0 with him this year ... not the 1-4 they are without him.

Pure conjecture...Nothing more...

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: SRU

Pure conjecture...Nothing more...

No sh!t

[boatcapt]

Re: SRU

So, if our couch detective math lined up with the reported number of graduated players, KR was getting slightly below the national average for D2 basketball. His number wasn't that far below the reported average.

I have a hard time comprehending that SRU can all the sudden make this a big item in regards to his employment. While there is a new president, he cannot 'back date' his graduation expectations of the basketball program. The university lived with the 'performance' of the program for a decade. The new sheriff in town could set expectations for moving forward but unless KR was given specific (in writing) player academic performance requirements (seems doubtful) ... not sure they can do much with it now -- from a human resources and legal angle.

I'm sure they've been digging these past five weeks since he was suspended. It's not easy to just can these guys when they have three years left on their contract and they get (very strong) union protection -- especially without a well-defined, documented reason.

The tricky thing is all of this stuff has gone on there for 10 years. All the sudden it's an issue. That's going to cause SRU some problems from a legal view. New president, sure, but it's not a new AD. They have every right to make a change ... but it may cost them some serious coin.


The actual basketball team is in serious jeopardy. These cast-off teams can die real quick when things go south. At 1-4 (0-4 vs. D2) ... things aren't good. They do get a KR schedule favorite tonight in Ohio University-Eastern so they'll win by about 60 points. But, if they are near 7-8 losses by the time Santa shows up (possible) ... Grady may have a real hard time keeping them together.

Grady is the other interesting angle in this story. He's been there 8 years ... nearly the entire Reynolds era. I understand the top assistant isn't held to the measurements as the head coach but it seems odd to pin the entire actions of the program on just one person.

That's really the ultimate point. Reynold's has "done what he do" for 10 years at SRU and not a peep from the AD or the past President. Now a new President comes in and they come up with a graduation rate issue (even though the grad rate in the Reynold's era is consistent with other programs). Sounds to me like the new President wanted to get rid of Reynolds and grad rate was the quickest route to that. My experience is that when new senior management decides they want to get rid of an underling, they screw the process up 9 times out of 10 and then have to pay for it. It's like their ego's won't permit them to do things the right way (document substandard performance, give the employee the opportunity to correct and only then fire if the employee doesn't perform)...It's like they say "I'm the boss and I can fire anyone I want whenever I want to." We will probably never know the result of the Reynold's law suit but I would be willing to bet as a minimum he get's his full salary for the duration of his contract.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: SRU

That's really the ultimate point. Reynold's has "done what he do" for 10 years at SRU and not a peep from the AD or the past President. Now a new President comes in and they come up with a graduation rate issue (even though the grad rate in the Reynold's era is consistent with other programs). Sounds to me like the new President wanted to get rid of Reynolds and grad rate was the quickest route to that. My experience is that when new senior management decides they want to get rid of an underling, they screw the process up 9 times out of 10 and then have to pay for it. It's like their ego's won't permit them to do things the right way (document substandard performance, give the employee the opportunity to correct and only then fire if the employee doesn't perform)...It's like they say "I'm the boss and I can fire anyone I want whenever I want to." We will probably never know the result of the Reynold's law suit but I would be willing to bet as a minimum he get's his full salary for the duration of his contract.

That's what Reynolds' suit alleges. Unfair standards and treatment in retaliation for his damning testimony in the wrongful death suit.

[Columbuseer]

Re: SRU

That's what Reynolds' suit alleges. Unfair standards and treatment in retaliation for his damning testimony in the wrongful death suit.

Pure speculation but I wonder if new president said no more New mercenaries every year. It does present a bad image from an academic perspectuve. Maybe alleged foul language and mutiny led to discussion of root causes and insistence that he change his recruiting approach which he declined to do. Who knows? I certainly dont!

[boatcapt]

Re: SRU

Pure speculation but I wonder if new president said no more New mercenaries every year. It does present a bad image from an academic perspectuve. Maybe alleged foul language and mutiny led to discussion of root causes and insistence that he change his recruiting approach which he declined to do. Who knows? I certainly dont!

Could be. I note that the administrative side controls admission standards. Quite often these mercenary players have some sketchy academic backgrounds that a zealous review during the admission process might result in the "recruit" being found inadmissible. Also, the school controls the funding of the basketball team. Reynolds might puff out his chest and tell the new Prez in no uncertain terms that he is going to continue to recruit whom ever HE wants to but when the Prez reduces the basketball budget to zero, Reynolds would have probably changed his recruiting strategy pretty quickly.

[hawks16]

Re: SRU

Where can one read the complaint?