Former WKU Coach Bill Powell Responds to Program Suspension

There have been no arrests, no charges, only the accusations of one disgruntled freshman. And what appears to be a couple of seniors that were bullies. Fire the coaches for taking no action & expell the bullies. But why punish 50 innocent athletes for this?

Anyone who would bash Coach Powell has never met the man.

Doing away with swim and dive takes away from the wronged. Football would not be cut. Punish the faulted not the program.

University administrations are running roughshod over individual rights in many areas, all because of enhanced enforcement of exaggerated interpretation of Title IX by the Obama Administration, which began with letters to all universities in 2011 demanding that they stop treating criminal behavior as criminal, but by removing the rights of the accused and suspending their Constitutional rights. It has gotten way out of hand. My old fraternity got kicked off campus for telling dirty jokes at its own party. A Duke senior got expelled and got no diploma 2 weeks before graduating after being accused of a sexual assault that local authorities would not prosecute. There are hundreds of examples.

Sounds like WKU needed to cut a sports team so they used this as the reasoning to give another swim program the ax.

I wanted everyone to see this amazing story that was in the paper on Sunday before this blew up: http://www.bgdailynews.com/opinion/our_opinion/wku-swimmer-on-right-track/article_e0325cec-cb3a-5a02-b22f-ab4349519e8f.html#.VS2u1YHrcLU- this swimmer is one of the many innocent swimmers in this completely blown up situation. I just wanted to show the amazing side of at least one of the current swimmers.

I have read all of the comments here and wanted to respond but had to get my head around everything. Background story is that I am an alumni swimmer from Western, I swam from 99-03.

– The police have been investigating this situation since the beginning of January and the only charges are of marijuana possession to one student athlete. No allegations or charges have been filed for sexual misconduct or assault and no one has come forth to press charges. One person has said something happened and when the alleged victim was confronted they wanted no charges pressed and didn’t believe that anything happened. Though people have been questioned about the alleged sexual harassment and assault there hasn’t been any evidence to support it or confirmation that it even ever occurred.

– About passed out drunk pictures. My response is really? this isn’t new or anything surprising. Not that people are proud to admit that they have had their drunken moments in College, most of us have had our moments. If you believe that College students are staid and sober and don’t do anything stupid with their friends you live in a hovel with your ears plugged and you eyes glued shut. I am sure these students are embarrassed that pictures where taken but they weren’t spread through mass media- they were posted on a bulletin board in a private house.

– About the Title IX investigation. This was led by a woman who is a right wing conservative who doesn’t believe in the consumption of alcohol. (This is 3rd party knowledge). I know someone that knows her and this is what he said about her. Also he said once she was put in charge the team didn’t have a prayer.

– The President of the University is all about money. He has successfully gotten rid of the mens soccer and tennis program in the last 10 years. He has put the mens swimming up and has been blocked because of alumni support of the program and because of the teams academic success and success in the pool. He built an enormous building and named it after himself, talk about a man with an ego and a man all about money.

– About the coaches. What did the coaches know? That swimmers drink and that recruits are offered alcohol? Or did they know that people bullied other swimmers? I would hope that the coaches would of stepped in and put a stop to bad behavior. If not then punish the coaches and the students responsible. I do not believe that hazing occurred- bullied yes. No evidence has been brought forth that swimmers had to perform certain things to belong (aka hazing). This again is one allegation from one person. About underage drinking and recruits drinking. I want to say again about the wake up and open your eyes. No NCAA athletic program would be around if they cut a program because of this. If you are an athlete or have ever been one you will know this.

– About the distinction of the swimmers. 34 of the 50 are academic all-Americans. They swam great and performed great in the class room. Can this be said for the other sporting programs? If you are going to go into peoples homes and take their computers, pictures, cameras and other personal items what do you think you are going to find? I would ask the University to do just that. If you want to raise the standards of the University put everyone up on the chopping block- fraternities and other sporting programs. Go into student housing ,that the University owns, and see what you find. I promise you will find drunk passed out, half naked, people writing on someone that has passed out pictures. These things should teach people to drink in moderation and don’t drink to the point of falling over. Not that College and Universities should be proud of this and that our culture shouldn’t change but its the truth and not the rare occurrence.

– I am honored to say that I swam and graduated from Western Kentucky University. Coach Powell and Steve Crocker where amazing coaches that taught life lessons and how to be a better person and friend to others.