Texas State University - San Marcos (formerly Southwest Texas State) Fires AD & HC

[MrMustang1965]

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – Texas State University-San Marcos President Denise Trauth announced that the head football coach, director of athletics and an associate director of athletics have been relieved of their duties effective immediately.

Manny Matsakis, head football coach since December 2002, was dismissed due to management issues associated with the football program and a draft investigation report that found violations of NCAA regulations.

Texas State’s Director of Athletics Greg LaFleur was also dismissed and Associate Director of Athletics Dana Craft was reassigned to other duties outside the athletics department. These actions were taken due to the need to have new leadership in the athletics department, Trauth said. LaFleur has been athletics director at Texas State since 2001, and Craft joined the university in 1977 as coach of women’s basketball.

Trauth said of the football issues, “The alleged violations, when taken each by themselves, are not of a large magnitude, but the number of reports over a short period of time is troubling. These reports and our concerns over the management of the football program call for this action.”

Trauth indicated that the two most serious NCAA allegations dealt with extra hours of practice beyond the 20 hours per week allowed by the NCAA rules, and prohibited knowledge of voluntary workouts during the summer. The improper management issues were related to the football program’s budget and personnel.

“ This is a very difficult time in the recruiting season to be taking this action, but we wanted the student-athletes we are recruiting to know what the coaching situation was at Texas State before the national letter of intent signing day on February 4. An athlete who signs a letter of intent is committed to a college even if there is a coaching change. We do not want to mislead these potential students. We want the student-athletes we have been recruiting to come to Texas State not only for our football program but for the great educational experience we offer,” Trauth said.

The more significant of the alleged violations, Trauth said, affected the academic welfare of the student-athletes, and she added that it was important for everyone associated with the university to understand that its student-athletes are students first and athletes second.

Trauth said that a search for a new head football coach will begin immediately, and that interviews with candidates could begin next week. Trauth, Vice President for Student Affairs James Studer, NCAA Faculty Representative and Professor of Finance and Economics Paul Gowens, and Associate Director of Athletics Larry Teis will be the selection committee for the new coach.

Trauth indicated she would name interim replacements for both administrators soon, and that the university would conduct a nation-wide search to fill the positions permanently.

Trauth said, “This has not been a pleasant day in the history of Texas State athletics, but I believe we needed to make these changes so that the athletics program can reach the potential that I believe it has. With a new coach and new leadership along with new cooperation among the athletics staff, the university administration, students and Bobcat boosters, I am confident we will have an athletics program that is exciting and one that will reach new heights.”

<small>[ 01-28-2004, 10:50 AM: Message edited by: MrMustang1965 ]</small>

[RGV Pony]

Ironic how things go full circle. Jim Wacker's old stomping grounds pulling the same kind of crap that he had to eliminate at TCU.

[MrMustang1965]

Check out all the violations! Holy cow! :wacko:

http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/articles/2004/01/28/sports/sports1.txt

The investigation concluded that on 14 days between Sept. 1, 2003 and Oct. 21 2003, the Bobcat football team exceeded the NCAA's maximum-allowed four hours of practice per day by a total of 26.25 hours.

Other violations the investigation turned up were:


A prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit received transportation from a current student-athlete from Austin-Bergstrom Airport.


During the month of May, an assistant football coach had numerous impermissible phone contacts with a student-athlete at another NCAA or NAIA institution without receiving written permission.


During the month of May, an assistant football coach exceeded the permissible one phone call per week to a prospective student-athlete twice over a period of two weeks.


Matsakis released information to a member of the local media regarding a four-year college prospective athlete.


Between May 12 and Aug. 1, the coaching staff provided information and encouraged students to participate in voluntary summer conditioning programs. Also, several student-athletes exceeded the NCAA's maximum eight-hour weekly limit for participating in these conditioning activities.


On approximately two or three occasions, during the fall of 2003, three student-athletes were denied a day off from practice activities, and were required to run at 6 a.m. on their day off to assist in losing weight.


On Oct. 30, 2003, approximately 23 football student-athletes missed classes beginning at 12:30 p.m. as a result of the football staff scheduling a meeting at noon that day. This meeting was held in conjunction with the institution's preparation for a home game that evening. NCAA rules state practice activities can't be conducted when student-athletes have classes scheduled.


During several weekends of home football games during the fall of 2003, family members of two student-athletes received a $10 reduction in a room rate at the Holiday Inn Express in San Marcos. The family was given this rate since the university has a corporate account with the hotel. This is considered an extra benefit by the NCAA.


During the summer of 2003, a football student-athlete who did not sign a National Letter of Intent or a grant-in-aid, was allowed to participate in the summer conditioning program. The NCAA only allows prospective student-athletes who have signed a National Letter of Intent to participate in the summer conditioning program.


Although he was eligible under NCAA and university requirements, a student-athlete practiced and competed for Texas State during the 2003 football season while ineligible because the player's formal certification documents inadvertently had not been completed by the institution.


On Saturday, Jan. 17, 2004, the football coaching staff allowed a strength and conditioning coach and two student support group members to have in-person, off-campus contact with a football prospective student-athlete and his father at a local restaurant during the prospect's unofficial visit to the institution. NCAA Bylaws state all in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect shall be made only by authorized, certified institutional staff members.

Although none of the infractions listed were major NCAA violations, the fact so many had piled up since Matsakis was hired in Dec. 2002 was a key reason for his dismissal.

<small>[ 01-28-2004, 06:43 PM: Message edited by: MrMustang1965 ]</small>

[MrMustang1965]

From the San Antonio Express-News today...

By Dan McCarney
San Antonio Express-News

Web Posted : 01/29/2004 12:00 AM

SAN MARCOS — As he walked out of the Bobcat Stadium athletic complex on Wednesday, newly fired Texas State football coach Manny Matsakis strolled past a group of junior college players who had recently arrived on campus.

Placed in the most mortifying of situations, Matsakis could only wink and duck his head.

The players, who had been venting about transferring into a calamity they apparently knew nothing about, were suddenly quiet — until their former coach was out of earshot.

"There he goes with that wink," one player said. "That was the same wink that got me to come here."

Emotions within the Bobcats football program ran the spectrum from shock to disappointment, anger to outright glee, as news of Matsakis' dismissal sank in.

One player, sophomore defensive back Larry Hayden, said Matsakis was an aggressive, personable coach who had infused the program with new life.

"People said he stepped on a whole lot of toes," Hayden said. "I don't think of him like that. He wanted something to get done, he envisioned it, and he did what it took to try and get it done. He was the type of person who would do anything for his players."

Another player, who asked not to be named, said Matsakis "deserved to be fired."

"I'd say at least three quarters of the team is happy," the player said. "I've seen a lot of smiles on peoples' faces today, let's put it that way. My prayers have been answered."

Specifically, the player said, Matsakis failed to follow through on a number of promises made during the recruiting process.

"He lied to a bunch of players and parents," he said. "He told us we were going to get summer-school money. The other week, he told us there was no summer-school money. He told me he was going to help me out with things, and he never did. I had some problems, I was going to get some counseling sessions, it never happened."

Matsakis declined to comment on issues related to his dismissal.

While some Bobcats players savored Matsakis' departure, transfer Derwin Straughter expressed despair.

Only 10 days after arriving in San Marcos from Reedley Community College (Calif.), Straughter found himself without a coach — and possibly a football team.

"I didn't know anything about any scandal that was going on," Straughter said, regarding an internal investigation that uncovered 12 NCAA violations within the football program. "(Matsakis) is the only person I can blame because he's the only person who knew about it. At least he could have told me (his firing) was a possibility. He seemed pretty straightforward.

"I'm in a position right now where I don't know what's going to happen. I do have a scholarship, but I'm going to have to see what happens."

Also in limbo was a recruiting class that includes Fredericksburg running back Stanley Zwinggi, who verbally committed to Texas State last weekend. Commitments are non-binding until letters of intent are signed Wednesday.

"I've been trying to call some of the (assistant) coaches, just to figure out what's going on and where I stand," said Zwinggi, an Express-News Sub-5A All-Area selection. "It disappoints me because that's where I was expecting to go. Now I don't know what to expect."

[Sam I Am]

Boy, oh, boy is Texas State going to suffer from this firing the week before signing day. The AD opposed the firing and got himsefl fired doing it. The school president may get a bad reaction to this if the program goes down too hard after these changes.

[Diehard Pony]

Originally posted by Sam I Am:
Boy, oh, boy is Texas State going to suffer from this firing the week before signing day. The AD opposed the firing and got himsefl fired doing it. The school president may get a bad reaction to this if the program goes down too hard after these changes.

And the implication on SMU is what??

[MrMustang1965]

Originally posted by Diehard Pony:

Originally posted by Sam I Am:
[b] Boy, oh, boy is Texas State going to suffer from this firing the week before signing day. The AD opposed the firing and got himsefl fired doing it. The school president may get a bad reaction to this if the program goes down too hard after these changes.

And the implication on SMU is what?? [/b]

Huh? :confused:

[ponyguts]

It is unfortunate that these coaches were fired for some of these allegations. The 20 work week is a joke when applied to college football. Kids can put in upwards of 40 hours when it is all said and done. As far as summer work outs again they just didn't catch any breaks. One way or another EVERY coach will know who is attending these work outs. Some are more obvious and other keep it on the DL, but either way both violations go on EVERYWHERE.