Mizzou To Gay LAX Coach: Bend Over

By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER Associated Press writer
COLUMBIA, Mo. May 14, 2007 (AP)

The openly gay coach of the Missouri men's lacrosse team was told his contract will not be renewed after nine seasons. Team leaders said Kyle Hawkins was dismissed because of his job performance, not his sexual orientation.

Hawkins recently completed his first season as head coach after publicly disclosing his homosexuality. The team finished with a 6-9 record, Hawkins' first losing season at the school.

As a club sport, the Missouri lacrosse team largely controls its budget and hiring decisions.

"We, as a team, did not feel coach Hawkins was the best man for the job," team president Andy Mackley said. "Sport is all we care about, not the sexuality of our coach, players and those associated with our team."

Mackley, a junior who briefly played for Hawkins in high school, called the decision "strictly business" and hailed Hawkins as a "pioneer" for his decision to be known as one of the few openly gay coaches in college sports.

"His personal life had zero to do with our team," Mackley said.

While Hawkins said he consulted with a lawyer, as did the team, he doesn't plan a legal challenge.

"I don't have anything to gain by going after them legally," he said.

Hawkins said he learned of the decision May 4 in a meeting with team leaders, an assistant coach, faculty advisers and a university official. Hawkins said the group offered eight reasons not to renew his annual contract, which expires May 31.

Among the concerns: dissatisfaction with his practice regimen and the coach's negative reputation outside the school.

"Those are laughable," Hawkins said. "A week and a half before the meeting, they had sat in front of the ESPN cameras and said what a great coach I was."

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=3173449&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

 

I guess Mizzou was too hard.

 

Muck Fizzou.

 

There's got to be plenty of Northeast jobs who will embrace him with a Saban-like welcome. Anyone in Massachusetts, maybe?

 

Well, they said he sucked, but did not get into specifics.

I kid, I kid. Looks like they were looking for a reason to can him. I mean one losing season? Come on.

 

Jerry: Because when you join that team it's not a whim. He likes his team. He's set with that team.

Elaine: We've got a good team.

Jerry: Yeah, we do. We do have a good team.

Elaine: Why can't he play for us?

 

What kind of cash is there in coaching club lacross, anyway?

 

Mr. Mackley needs a good talk with Zed at the gun shop. Mmmmmkay?

 

Hawkins overall record was, what, 172-58 (fuzzy math)? I guess the players didn't want to be known as the team that was coached by a gay man and found some bullshit excuse to cut him because he was getting notoriety for what we went through to be open about his homosexuality and being a coach.

 

Zed's Dead

 

Lacrosse and hockey seem like the sports where the players would be least likely to accept a gay coach, so I'm sure they had some input here.

 

Is Avery Johnson gay?