Multiple firings are untimely

The Athletic Department under Director of Athletics Michael McNeely fired three IU head coaches Tuesday. The Athletic Department said in a press release the decision was based on the team's performance over the past few years. Women's soccer coach Joe Kelley, men's swimming and diving coach Kris Kirchner and softball coach Diane Stephenson were released, but the timing was wrong for this to happen.\nFiring Coach Kelley and Coach Kirchner so late after their respective seasons was the wrong way to handle this situation. \nThis is especially true in Kelley's situation. He brought recruits into the program expecting to coach them next year, and the recruits came to IU partially because of his leadership and commitment to the team. This recruiting class was announced in early February, and the Athletic Department led the team to believe Kelley would be coaching them.\nNow, three full months after the recruits signed letters of intent and six months after the soccer season officially ended, Kelley was fired, and the recruits and the current team are left to pick their shattered hopes off of the floor. \nMcNeely should have made this decision at the end of the soccer season and before Kelley started to recruit new players. Kelley would have been able to search for a new job and talk to his current players.\nThe question is why did McNeely wait so long to fire Kelly and Kirchner? It is understandable he would fire Coach Stephenson at this point -- immediately following the end of the season. That allows Stephenson time to mentally and emotionally prepare herself to deal with a new team. It seems McNeely is showing off the power of his position by firing these three coaches at the same time. In the IDS's opinion, that is not the way the athletic director should portray himself. Now three teams are left without coaches. \nWe understand McNeely wants coaches who produce winning teams, but he must realize that this greatly affects the coaches, their staffs and the players. These coaches will most likely have to relocate themselves and their family, which takes a lot of time and energy. \nThe new players will come in playing for a coach that didn't recruit them, and they may be uncomfortable with that. This makes IU athletics, and the University itself, look untrustworthy and unprofessional.\n