"I remember when I first went to Coach [Clint Myers] and [Auburn assistant] Scott Woodard they literally said, 'Define inappropriate relationships. Before his time at Central from 2011 to 2022, he guided USI . From that starting point, Deese made the NCAA Regionals nine times, and eight times in the past 10 seasons, but the Tigers fell to 30-23 and just 7-17 in the SEC this season, failing to capitalize on early wins over Florida and Alabama. 6 Auburn athletics administrators fired. AP Harsin, 45, came to Auburn on a six-year, $31.5 million deal after seven seasons as head coach at Boise State. There are good people throughout this program and University. In 2018, Conviser says a patient came to her and told her that Lenti was caught in a dispute with his female Assistant Head Coach when he punched her in the face. Damon comes from Montgomery Academy where he served as head coach. He did, however, speak about a letter he wrote to Auburn's Title IX office in answer to Nemeth's appeal, and took issue with the language that found "unwanted sexual conduct had occurred. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Jenkins was involved in the Auburn softball scandal last year, includinginstructing players to delete text messages obtained from a teammate's phone that proved an inappropriate relationships between a player and then-assistant coach Corey Myers, who resigned that same day, March 30, 2017. On May 29, 2017, during her end-of-year meeting with the coaching staff, Nemeth was told that there would not be a role for her on the softball team the following season. None of those assistant coaches are going to speak up because they're all hired by the head coach, and family comes first. 2 South Carolina with a 9-5 win Saturday at Founders . The records, along with interviews with some of Clint Myers' former supervisors and colleagues, show a head coach who actively sought to include and advance his son within the team. He really thinks that Corey is the best," the former administrator said. The school has hired the Birmingham, Alabama, law firm of Lightfoot, Franklin & White to investigate the program. Video Analyst. She has now thrown six shutouts on the season. Johnson, Susan Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The events that eventually sent shock waves through the program, though, came during the 2017 season, when seniors refused to board the bus for a road trip to Georgia until a certain player got off the bus. Who won the spring transfer cycle? At one point, Corey Myers allowed one of the players to temporarily live with his family at their house, an arrangement that a former ASU administrator described as "not a good practice." Please check your email for a confirmation. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. AUBURN, Ala. Auburn has fired football coach Bryan Harsin after a troubled term that didn't last two full seasons, making him the program's shortest-tenured head coach in the last 93. Annie Voyles, who worked as director of operations during the 2012 season, said that shortly after she started, she and other staff members met with a school attorney to discuss rules regarding Corey Myers. Data analyst and reporter for ESPN's Enterprise and Investigative Unit. but school officials did nothing about it -- this according to a new. Auburn softball has parted ways with assistant coach Eddy Ketelhut and director of operations Megan Reynolds. ", On Aug. 26, ESPN reported that Corey Myers had been under investigation by Auburn since September 2016, and that his resignation on March 30 was prompted by players presenting evidence to officials in Auburn's athletic department of an inappropriate relationship with one of their teammates. In his resignation letter, Corey Myers wrote that he could "hopefully return to this great University in the future. The two will look to build off of a 28-17 season last year for the Tigers. Canaan, Brad He was also an assistant softball coach for The University of Ole Miss. Auburn players have said their former head coach's actions created a similar culture there, one that enabled and shielded Corey while also intimidating players who complained about his alleged inappropriate behavior. ", There were similar concerns, one former ASU official told Outside the Lines, about the attitude of Clint Myers, who had come to Arizona State after several years as a successful junior college coach accustomed to an environment in which he had autonomy. Auburn officials declined to answer specific questions from ESPN about the allegations and team culture, but issued the following statement: "As information became known to us, the university acted upon it, following guidelines and/or procedures, to learn the facts and take appropriate action. The review is ongoing. Though she had no inappropriate relationship with Myers, former Auburn softball player Alexa Nemeth filed a Title IX complaint against the university on May 31, 2017, alleging a pattern of sexual harassment that affected the entire team. Former Auburn players have alleged in prior published reports that Corey Myers often returned to the university and its softball program after his resignation, until players confronted his father in a team meeting. On Sept. 26, 2017, Nemeth attended Auburn softball tryouts with new head coach Mickey Dean, but she was not selected to be a part of the 2018 roster. Over the span of four years, he started in 177 of the 188 games that he played on the Plains. Godwin, Sydney 1 NFL draft picks were like as college football recruits: Only how many five-stars?! All rights reserved (About Us). Greene shook up Auburn's athletic department, firing six senior administrative staffers, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. . No. [4], Dean is married to his wife Liz, and they have two adult children. View Full Bio. ", Taylor, Auburn's Title IX coordinator, wrote in an email that her office doesn't "publicly comment on specific personnel issues involving a violation of university policy.". Winner, 2014 Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Award; finalist, 2012 IRE broadcast award; winner, 2011 Gannett Foundation Award for Innovation in Watchdog Journalism; Emmy nominated, 2009. Corey Myers could not be reached for comment. What No. [1], Dean graduated from Elon University in 1987. Colletta, Max AUBURN A former Auburn softball player has sued the university, school leaders and former softball coaches, alleging sexual discrimination and harassment. "Like any coach with the benefit of hindsight, there are things that could have been done differently," added Harsin. Dan Mullen was fired as the head coach of Florida late in the 2021 season, but he had a good run in the SEC and could return. The program's move comes as no surprise after Auburn suffered a 41-27 loss to Arkansas on Saturday . In December 2010, it had been slapped with penalties over major infractions incurred by the Arizona State baseball program. Northern Illinois NIC-9. Corey Myers was never officially employed by Arizona State. [5], National champion Harsin's tenure at Auburn ends with a 9-12 record. Sign up for the Auburn Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Ellis, Rose Auburn's Maddie Penta shut out South Carolina on Sunday with a no-hit effort. One former player who spoke with ESPN is Blaire Bass, who provided ESPN screenshots of suggestive text messages she said were sent by Corey Myers after team photos were taken in September 2015. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It will be interesting to see how Haecker does in his new role as head coach for a different group of Tigers. Two days before the sudden retirement of Auburn softball coach Clint Myers last summer, his son, former associate head coach Corey Myers, was banned from the Auburn campus in a strongly worded letter from the university's Title IX office. "It was a team decision. 1 of 2 Auburn wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams during the A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium on April 17. Postseason invitational champion When Clint Myers became Auburn's head coach in 2013, he hired Corey as assistant coach and thanked the university "for giving me and my family this Alabama adventure." He was previously a member of Under Armour's sports marketing team, which he joined in 2009, and was involved in negotiating several sponsorship deals with the apparel provider. All rights reserved (About Us). Nemeth, who played for Auburn High School, walked on to the Auburn softball team in 2016. McBride joined Auburn last September, the last major hire by Jacobs, and was involved in several of the department's major business deals. Although the letter concluded that Corey Myers engaged in inappropriate behavior with multiple students, the university has rejected an assertion that the former associate coach's actions created a hostile environment for other players. Tresvik, Emmah We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Corey resigned on March 30. . One former ASU administrator said she was angry when she heard about the Auburn allegations. Auburn dismisses softball coach Tina Deese after 17 seasons; only coach in program's history Published: May. Engelkes, Riley In each of the past two seasons, three coaches were fired in September.. Cox, Icess The best assistant coach," one former ASU colleague said of Clint Myers. Nemeth, contacted for her response to the news of Clint Myers' retirement, said that she feels "vindicated." ", In an email to Outside the Lines, former Arizona State athletic director Love wrote, "Active administrative oversight throughout his tenure may have contributed to [Clint Myers'] decision to be employed elsewhere.". "He couldn't be in any area the public wasn't allowed in. COLUMBIA, S.C. - Auburn scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back as the Tigers clinched the series at No. Final. It was our fault if the story got out, it was our fault that Corey had to leave. [2] Coaching career Radford James Madison Auburn Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Clint Myers won two national championships at Arizona State and took Auburn to the Women's College World Series finals against Oklahoma in 2016. One former player, when asked if any of the coaches ever commented on her looks, said, "That's how it was determined if you were liked or not. His record as a head coach, including one season at Arkansas State, is 85-36. ", When reached by phone on Monday, Corey Myers declined to comment about the letter banning him from Auburn. Deese offered a statement in Auburn's press release on her time on the Plains. Jenkins was fired in 2018. Corey Myers was promoted from assistant coach to Auburn's associate head coach in 2016. Please check your email for a confirmation. T.R. In one of the texts, the sender identified as Myers told Bass how she looked in one of the photos: "Your okay 7 maybe." Former Auburn head softball coach Clint Myers, who left the program in August amid allegations his son and assistant coach Corey Myers engaged in inappropriate behavior with players, was reprimanded in his previous job as head coach at Arizona State University for issues involving Corey as well, records released Friday to ESPN's Outside the Lines show. Conference tournament champion. According to the letter and several players, the team was then "quarantined" for several hours prior to a trip to Georgia. Clint Myers resigned in August amid a Title IX investigation into him and his son, Jenkins was not the softball administrator this past season and athletic director Jay Jacobs resigned in November. The team dropped to 3-5 and is in danger of missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 2012. The schools have acknowledged receipt of the requests but have not yet responded with any records. Widra, Bri After Auburn hired him, Clint Myers thanked the university for the "opportunity to coach with my family.". Jay Jacobs, the athleticdirector at the time, announced in November that he would step down from his position. Alexa Nemeth, a former Auburn softball player, alleges abuse by coaching staff and Auburn University negligence. Recently, players associated with the program began discussing with ESPN a culture of routine manipulation, isolation and exploitation. "Who was the advocate for the student athletes? After handing South Carolina (34-8, 13-6 SEC) just its second home loss of the season Friday, Auburn (25-17-1, 9-11 SEC) is the first team to beat the Gamecocks in a home series this season. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Williams was selected at No. A former Auburn softball player sent a 14-page complaint alleging abusive treatment by the Tigers coaching staff, a pattern of sexual harassment and concerns about administrative cover-up to school officials and Alabama Gov. She spent 11 years in media relations and has been the SWA for the last several years. Running backs coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams will serve as Auburn's interim coach, the school later announced. This could be a big issue for a program that has had problems in the past with coaches. Statement from Jenny H. Conviser, PsyD, MS, CEDS-S, CMPC in connection with lawsuit against DePaul: pic.twitter.com/rheJFpWCTR, Ben Meiselas (@meiselasb) April 17, 2020. It is also unclear if they resigned or were fired. It was an act that set the stage for all that was to follow: an emotionally charged postgame confrontation between Fagan and Florida coach Tim Walton, who unwittingly stepped into the Auburn storm; the three-hour March 30 "quarantine" described in Greenberg's letter; the resignation of Corey Myers; and, perhaps most remarkably, the refusal of several members of the team, including Fagan and 2016 All-American Kasey Cooper, to board the bus to Athens in the company of the player who allegedly exchanged text messages with Corey Myers. The news was reported by South Alabama Sports via Twitter. He's insensitive, blind and oblivious to Corey. Williams was hired as Auburn's wide receivers coach on Jan. 16, joining the program after spending the last six seasons in the same role at Troy. "No one on the outside has a clue to what we went through," said Whitney Jordan, who left after the 2017 season with a year of eligibility left to take a teaching internship. Hugh . Miller High School in Brewton, Alabama. "You are banned from campus property and may not attend any university events. Williams, 52, joins the Tigers after spending two . On 4/21, the Rockford Auburn varsity softball team lost their away conference game against Belvidere North (Belvidere, IL) by a score of 4-3. Pettry, Sierra Our experts answer 6 portal questions, College football reporters' NFL draft takeaways, USF RB facing charge for felony domestic battery, Deion 'ashamed' after only 1 HBCU player drafted, Spartans QB Thorne, WR Coleman enter portal, Philly Dawgs: Eagles add Ringo to UGA draft haul, Biden salutes Air Force for fall success over rivals, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', Huskers QB Thompson again in transfer portal, College football Future Power Rankings: Defenses, Ranking college football's 10 best running backs for 2023. The decision comes less than 24 hours after the Tigers finished the regular season with a 6-4 record after beating . Clint Myers was hired under ASU's Love and departed under her successor, Steve Patterson, and both Love and Patterson told Outside the Lines that no one from Auburn contacted them to discuss Myers or his son ahead of hiring him. With complete alignment, the possibilities are endless.". Further, you are forbidden from attending any Auburn University softball-related activities or events, whether on- or off-campus. Peralta, Skylar Assistant Auburn softball coach accused of physical, verbal abuse Schedule Football Recruiting Teams SEC. Who was making sure they were OK? don't forget to follow the Tigers on Twitter: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 08, 2013, 10:36 p.m. Auburn softball coach Tina Deese was fired Wednesday after 17 years. Former Arizona State athletic department employees who worked with Myers and his two sons, Corey and Casey -- who also worked as a volunteer coach -- described a head coach who chafed under myriad NCAA rules, butted heads with colleagues and was a fierce promoter and protector of his sons. According to both Nemeth and Myers, an arbitrator has been selected for her appeal, and a final ruling is expected soon. McCondichie, Nelia On Monday, former Auburn baseball player Damon Haecker was hired as the new head softball coach at T.R. Lentis sister Jean Lenti Ponsetto is the schools athletic director and Conviser says this is the reason allegations were disregarded and covered up. ESPN sent public records requests regarding Clint and Corey Myers, including any disciplinary actions or complaints, to Auburn University and Arizona State University -- where Clint Myers was the head coach from 2006 to 2013 and Corey Myers was a volunteer coach during the Sun Devils' 2008 national championship season. Carosone, Ken The letter states, "We believe that by virtue of the father-son relationship [between Clint and Corey Myers] coaches looked the other way thereby allowing Auburn's Intimate Relations Policy to be violated.". AUBURN, Ala. - Another top-25 recruiting class is heading to the Plains as head softball coach Mickey Dean announced a 2023 signing class featuring nationally ranked recruits across the board on . Although he wasnt known for his power, Haecker still managed to have 70 runs batted in over the four years. T.R. Director of Operations. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea. Miller has hired Damon Haecker as the next head varsity softball coach! Easterwood, Olivia Auburn has fired head football coach Gus Malzahn, the school announced Sunday. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Auburn went 205-54-1 over four seasons under Clint Myers, winning the SEC championship in 2015 and 2016 and advancing to the Women's College World series in both of those seasons. RALEIGH, NC -- NC State Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan has announced that head softball coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift has been relieved of her duties effective immediately and will not. Extending Bruce Pearl's contract was just one of a series of major personnel decisions Auburn athletic director Allen Greene made on Monday. Alexa Nemeth filed a lawsuit. "After all the stuff that happened in the spring, I felt like an idiot for even opening my mouth. Wake Forest's Spear, top-5 ACC scorer, in portal, Taurasi offers glimpse at Griner's return to court, Corpuz, Yin share 1-shot lead in LPGA Chevron, Carmouche submits Bennett to again defend title, A Lim Kim leads Chevron; Ko, Thompson miss cut, Illini-MSU 1st matchup of 2 Black softball coaches, Ex-Oklahoma St. guard Keys to join rival Sooners, Bencic to skip Madrid, Rome tourneys due to hip, Source: Estrada returns July 22; opponent TBD, Sabalenka advances to Porsche GP quarterfinals, Knight, U.S. beat Canada for world hockey gold, Ex-Auburn coach, son also had issues at ASU, Auburn names JMU's Dean as softball coach, The concerns over Corey Myers at Arizona State. 247Sports' Nathan King reported on Monday that Auburn is firing additional staff members along with head coach Bryan Harsin.Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau and tight ends coach Brad Bedell are the biggest names, as the two were among Harsin's Boise State-related hires, but the team has also laid off some additional support staffers. DePaul 's former softball coach allegedly punched his assistant in the face and repeatedly verbally abused players . There were five sweeps across the conference. https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/2022/06/15/auburn-baseball-damon-haecker-softball-coach-alabama-high-school/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Corey Myers was hired as an assistant coach in 2013 and promoted to associate head coach in 2016. I am very proud of the resolve shown by everyone in our facility and incredibly grateful for those at Auburn who stood by me and my family. Damon played baseball for Auburn University. "I wrote a letter saying that I didn't believe all that was being said, because I wanted to defend my coach," one former Auburn player told ESPN. It's a big matchup for the Tigers, who are looking to improve their RPI in hopes. On Nov. 3, Jay Jacobs resigned as Auburn's athletic director after months of reports of violations and lawsuits involving not only the softball program, but also track and field, baseball, football and basketball, including the arrest of assistant coach Chuck Person on federal charges stemming from an FBI investigation into bribery and corruption in college basketball. Karkoska, Taylor The suit was filed by Jenny Conviser, a former mental health doctor who worked with DePaul athletes for 13 years. She is "seeking permanent relief from sexual discrimination, harassment and hostile environment" stemming from the events that rocked the Auburn softball program two years ago and led to the eventual resignation of associate head coach Corey Myers on March 30, 2017, and the retirement of his father, head coachClint Myers, on Aug. 23 of that year. Cooper, Millie McCrary, Maia She filed the Title IX complaint two days later. "I am incredibly disappointed that I won't get to lead the Auburn football program and these players into the future," Harsin said in a statement released Tuesday. The lawsuit contains the same details outlined in the Title IX complaint Nemeth filed with the university on May 31, 2017, alleging that Clint Myers "knowingly allowed his son Corey to pursue inappropriate relationships with members of the team, that she had been subjected to abuse and harassment, and that the administration was engaging in a cover-up.". A former Auburn softball player sent a 14-page complaint alleging abusive treatment by the Auburn coaching staff, a pattern of sexual harassment and concerns about an administrative cover-up to . Milanowski, Kenadie ", On May 31, four days after Auburn's season ended with its super regionals defeat to eventual 2017 WCWS champion Oklahoma, Nemeth filed her Title IX discrimination complaint. Sign up for the Auburn Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. An Alabama native, Williams was a standout wide . Conviser is not suing Lenti, but is suing the school for retaliation, breach of contract, defamation and more. On Aug. 17, 2017, Outside the Lines requested records from Auburn regarding any investigations or disciplinary action against Corey Myers. The Auburn Tigers are wasting no time making changes. Miller has hired Damon Haecker as the next head varsity softball coach! HEAD COACH UPDATE. pic.twitter.com/GGAtT8pS7Z, South Alabama Sports (@SouthALSports) June 15, 2022. ", Said Fagan: "Coach and Corey, the way they were, it was always our fault. I made this decision because I felt it was time to move in another direction.". Division regular season and conference tournament champion Lowe, Annabelle "I just look forward to getting this over with," Nemeth said. We stood together in the face of considerable challenges and outside noise. The Tigers were unable to hold onto an early lead. Roach, Mickey