ESPN Host Claims ‘Double Standard’ for Female NCAA Coaches

ESPN “Around the Horn” host Kate Fagan used her sound off segment Wednesday to call attention to the University of Iowa for not releasing documents pertaining to Tracey Griesbaum’s firing. Griesbaum, a former University of Iowa Field Hockey coach, claims she was let go because she was a female. Fagan happily took up the claim, saying there’s a “double standard” for female coaches.      

Here’s Fagan’s full “Around the Horn” statement:

Since 2010 the University of Iowa has fired or forced to resign five female coaches. The most recent was Tracie Griesbaum the field hockey coach, who was on of the most successful coaches in that program. They fired her on August 4th after hearing her investigation.  They have not actually released all the documents pertaining why Tracy was fired.  She says it was gender bias with in the Athletic Department, but Iowa has not come forward with all the documents. They need to tell us wants going on.

A few points Kate Fagan failed to mention in her “Around the Horn” appearance, or ESPNW.com “Gender Bias” commentary [1]. Griesbaum was replaced with a woman, Lisa Cellucci. The University of Iowa conducted a school investigation after several parents of student athletes claimed Griesbaum,“created an environment of fear, intimidation, and mistreatment of athletes.” Griesbaum who is openly gay, also violated a university conflict of interests policy maintaining an ongoing long-term relationship with Senior Associate Athletic Director Jane Meyer. 

Fagan continued to ask, “What’s going on at Iowa, and why aren’t the documents being released?”   

There’s a very simple answer. The University of Iowa has been instructed by the attorney generals office not to turn over the documents, because it would be a violation of FERPA. The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires universities to keep many student records confidential.    

Fagan is less a sports commentator than a lefty activist. She gained notoriety a couple of months ago during a Sports Center appearance talking about the Ray Rice case, claiming “The NFL needs to give millions of dollars to grassroots organizations to help reprogram the way we raise men [2].”

She also waxed rapturous [3] when former Missouri defensive end and current GQ “Man of the Year” [4] (really) Michael Sam announced – just in time to create NFL draft hype – that he is gay. She said of Sam, “His truth is now.” Given that Sam has been cut from two NFL teams, it would seem his truth is “unemployed.”