Hall of Famer is on paid leave while school investigates complaints voiced by players’ parents.
North Carolina Coach Sylvia Hatchell is on paid leave while the school investigates accusations voiced by parents of players.
On Monday afternoon, the university announced it had put Hatchell and her entire staff on paid leave “due to issues raised by student-athletes and others,” and had hired an outside law firm to investigate. The substance of the issues had not been made public. The outcome of the investigation, according to parents of current Tar Heels, will determine the size of a pending exodus of players. Four of the team’s 14 current players have filed paperwork seeking to transfer, according to parents with knowledge of their situations, and two additional players are considering doing the same if Hatchell keeps her job.“I’ve had the privilege of coaching more than 200 young women during my 44 years in basketball,” Hatchell said.
In recent years, Hatchell’s program has been marked by mediocre records and high-profile players transferring, some of which Hatchell has blamed publicly on the 2015 academic scandal in which a longtime academic advisor to the women’s basketball team played a pivotal role.
Williams-Johnson was visibly uncomfortable with Hatchell’s comments, according to two parents who spoke to their daughters about the incident. Williams-Johnson, who retired after last season, did not respond to several calls and messages seeking comment. Smith was similarly adamant that Hatchell said she would never use the word “noose,” and that her comment had been about being “hung out to dry.”
Hatchell, right, listens to an official during an ACC tournament game. Health concerns At the meeting, parents also voiced concerns about a series of situations involving injured players and their interactions with Hatchell and team medical staff. Sullivan played the remainder of her freshman season and her entire sophomore season with her shoulder regularly slipping out of its socket, her parents said at the meeting, but Stafford assured them their daughter didn’t need surgery. Entering her junior year, they considered seeking outside opinions, they told school officials.
The parents at the meeting also discussed a situation involving Kennedy Boyd, a freshman guard, who suffered a concussion in an exhibition game before this season. Sharp pain in her knee persisted, however, the parents said during the meeting. In a workout before one of North Carolina’s games in the ACC tournament, Watts told Hatchell she was still dealing with too much pain to play, the parents said. In reply, according to parents with knowledge of the situation, Hatchell informed Watts that WNBA scouts would be in attendance, and that they would “want to see if she can play through pain.
“I notified the training staff and coach Hatchell that she wouldn’t make it back for the season. And we would keep working with her but don’t expect her to play,” wrote Stafford, who then addressed the confusion over why he didn’t initially describe the injury as a torn tendon.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Report: UNC women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell accused of making racist remarksAccording to the report, three players felt they were pressured to play through injuries, while others described racially inappropriate comments by Hatchell.
Read more »
UNC to investigate women’s basketball program over ‘issues raised by student-athletes’Coach Sylvia Hatchell and her assistants have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Read more »
North Carolina places women's basketball coach and assistants on administrative leaveThe University of North Carolina announces it has placed women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell and her three assistants on paid administrative leave amid a review of 'issues raised by student-athletes and others.'
Read more »
UNC places Hall of Fame women's basketball coach, staff on leaveNorth Carolina has placed Hall of Fame women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell and her 3 assistants on paid administrative leave amid player concerns and is reviewing the program.
Read more »
Report: UNC women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell accused of making racist remarksAccording to the report, three players felt they were pressured to play through injuries, while others described racially inappropriate comments by Hatchell.
Read more »
L.A. Jr. Kings coaches, players suspended after reported anti-Semitic remarks are heard on videoFifteen players and three coaches of a Los Angeles-based youth hockey team were suspended after a video was posted to social media in which one player performed a Nazi salute and others reportedly were heard to make what sounded like anti-Semitic comments.
Read more »
Rain stops play: UK parliament forced to close after water leakBritain's parliament was forced to close early on Thursday after a leak in ...
Read more »
U.S. Border Patrol accused of forcing migrant families to wake up and stand every three hours'These conditions are among the worst we've seen in recent history,” said Andre Segura, legal director for the ACLU of Texas.
Read more »
NCAA Tournament roundup: Okeke injured as Auburn upsets UNCChuma Okeke had 20 points and 11 rebounds before leaving with a leg injury and A...
Read more »