No one at the college level likes to admit it, but when dealing with student athletes, there are those who aren’t mature enough emotionally and academically to be at that level.
The University of Akron has been no exception with regard to problems within the basketball program. New Zips coach John Groce has also dealt with his share of off-the-court issues while coaching at Ohio University and the University of Illinois.
Among the incidents:
One Ohio player was kicked off the team after punching a nightclub bouncer. Another was bounced for repeated marijuana use.
At Illinois, a player was sent home from a team trip to France after being charged with vandalism, public intoxication and resisting arrest. He was suspended indefinitely and eventually dismissed from the team. Police arrested another Illini player and charged him with aggravated assault, and a third player was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic assault. That charge was later dropped.
Those who made the decision regarding Groce’s hiring were aware of the issues.
“I think that in any athletic program, any athletic area, you look at everything in its entirety and that’s a consideration like it would be for any other coach,” UA President Matthew Wilson said after Groce’s introductory news conference Thursday.
Wilson answered a question that pops up any time a college player gets in trouble while away from the game. A coach can’t watch a student athlete 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A coach can lead by example and Groce has shown the ability to do that.
UA Director of Athletics Larry Williams agreed.
“Ultimately, they’re 18- to 24-year-olds and they do make bad decisions,” he said. “I did not see any pattern in John’s background that says he’s a high risk taker as it relates to student athletes.”
Like it or not, the world of college sports has evolved into a multibillion-dollar business and for the institutions involved, there is much at stake with respect to wins and losses.
Williams said that UA coaches take the time to get to know a player, his family and his environment before bringing him or her into their athletics programs. But no one can predict the future.
Throughout his news conference, Groce emphasized that he views his position of coach as that of teacher and mentor, while acknowledging that others play a significant role in a player’s development. In most cases, they succeed.
When they hit bumps at his programs, Groce said he looked at each situation on an individual basis and attempted to serve as teacher and mentor.
“Every situation is different,” he said. “I think our job as leaders is to empower the student athlete and educate the student athlete on making choices and give them ownership of that, but when they don’t do what they’re supposed to do, or need to do, then our job is to hold them accountable.”
Williams said that’s what he noticed about the incidents that hit Groce’s programs.
“What I did see is a guy that once they did happen, handled them in a very responsible manner, trying to get the young man help then disciplining further if it did occur,” he said.
He said Groce’s contract, which hasn’t been finalized, will address the issue of player expectations.
“Once we go to long form, there will be a clause that addresses specifically the student athletes we have in our program and his responsibility toward recruiting and responding to behavioral issues,” Williams said.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ.