Spring Break
The Daily OrangeCoach denies racial insensitivity, disrespecting team
By Mike Licker
Posted: 4/22/04, 12:20 AM EST Section: Sports
During one practice, Jean told Cieplicki that her name was not "dog" and to please call her April. Accounts differ as to what happened next. Cieplicki refused to comment on the situation. Two of his assistant coaches, Mandy Ronay and Morgan Hall - who also played under Cieplicki for four years at Vermont - said Cieplicki immediately apologized. Jean, though, said that, after practice, Cieplicki took her aside and told her to not embarrass him again in front of his players and coaches.
Former Orangewoman Shannon Perry, who decided not to play this season, said she only met Cieplicki a couple of times, but he also greeted her with the phrase "What up, dog?" Perry said that attitude contributed to her decision not to play this season.
Campbell, Jackson and Jean also said that white recruits who came to visit the school would stay with white players and black recruits would stay with black players. Ronay, who helps pair up recruits with players, said that was not the case. She said players and recruits were paired according to personalities and interests, not skin color.
"I feel that I've coached all players, both black and white, appropriately," Cieplicki said. "It's something I'm very sensitive to, especially in a position like mine."
Cieplicki also said that at the end of the season he gave out a new survey, which asked the players to rate the coaching staff. One of the areas touched on was race, and none of the players had anything negative to say in that area, Cieplicki said. Cieplicki said that, in general, the feedback was quite positive. Crouthamel said that he was aware of the incident with Jean and has discussed it with Cieplicki. He added that it had been blown out of proportion.
Hall, who earned All-American East conference honors in all four of her seasons under Cieplicki, also defended the coach. She said that at Vermont, Cieplicki called players, both black and white, "dog" on several occasions.
"You can use the race card if you want, but you've got to look a little deeper than that," Hall said. "He did it at Vermont, and there were no black people there. No one had a problem with it."
Former Orangewoman Shannon Perry, who decided not to play this season, said she only met Cieplicki a couple of times, but he also greeted her with the phrase "What up, dog?" Perry said that attitude contributed to her decision not to play this season.
Campbell, Jackson and Jean also said that white recruits who came to visit the school would stay with white players and black recruits would stay with black players. Ronay, who helps pair up recruits with players, said that was not the case. She said players and recruits were paired according to personalities and interests, not skin color.
"I feel that I've coached all players, both black and white, appropriately," Cieplicki said. "It's something I'm very sensitive to, especially in a position like mine."
Cieplicki also said that at the end of the season he gave out a new survey, which asked the players to rate the coaching staff. One of the areas touched on was race, and none of the players had anything negative to say in that area, Cieplicki said. Cieplicki said that, in general, the feedback was quite positive. Crouthamel said that he was aware of the incident with Jean and has discussed it with Cieplicki. He added that it had been blown out of proportion.
Hall, who earned All-American East conference honors in all four of her seasons under Cieplicki, also defended the coach. She said that at Vermont, Cieplicki called players, both black and white, "dog" on several occasions.
"You can use the race card if you want, but you've got to look a little deeper than that," Hall said. "He did it at Vermont, and there were no black people there. No one had a problem with it."
