On Friday the San Francisco Chronicle ran a story about Stanford swimming coach Skip Kenney decision to erase athletes' records from the media guide.
I sent the article to a few people I thought might be interested. I just thought it was another example of a coach who just doesn't get IT.
Someone emailed back, "Skip Kenney is a huge NAME DELETED FROM RECORD BLOG."
Strong words, eh? This person shoud know. She covered the swim team as a writer for The Stanford Daily. She continued, "[Kenney] called me in my dorm room and yelled at me for my articles not being 'supportive enough' of the team (they were 3 time defending NCAA Champions, but had lost two dual meets) and told me not to come to Indy to cover the NCAA Championships. (Of course I went anyway.)"
This email came from my wife Debbie Spander.
So why did Kenney rejigger the Stanford record books?
Michael McLean, one of the record holders wiped off the pages, told The Chronicle he had a "good relationship with Kenney until he decided to take an internship with a consulting firm in San Francisco."
New Stanford AD Bob Bowlsby isn't pulling any punches. He told The Chronicle:
"I find it unacceptable that anyone who earned such distinction (would) be selectively excluded from our publication, and we will immediately restore our records to accurately reflect the history of our men's swimming program...This is not editorial content. This is fact-based information. You don't selectively edit fact-based information.''
I like this new AD.
On Friday Bowlsby suspended Kenney with pay while the athletic department investigates the matter, including whether any NCAA rules governing practice time were violated.
I've said this before: If coaches want to extend the commitment beyond the 20 hours permitted by NCAA rule, then schools should recognize (e.g. provide a stipend) that these student athletes are forgoing other important college life experiences (particularly work internships). Why does the NCAA membership have the 20-hour rule if no one really follows it?
UPDATE: There's no joy in taking aim at someone whose career hangs in the balance, but I do think if there is a pattern it's important that it be established. Here's a link to a harassment suit filed against Kenney in 1996.
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