Mitchell: Lack of formal announcement was in deference to Clune at tough time

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March 11, 2010

By Dominick DiRienzo The Meadville Tribune Thu Mar 11, 2010, 12:05 AM EST

March 11, 2010 — Allegheny College Athletic Director Betsy Mitchell said Wednesday the school’s distance surrounding Rob Clune’s termination as basketball coach was an effort to give him and his family “space and grace” during a difficult time.

“We were trying to give control in a time when there was no control,” she said. “We wanted to give some time for processing. We are striving for demonstrating some care.”

Mitchell sat down with the Tribune on Wednesday and discussed the issue after several missed connections between her and the Tribune on Tuesday, when several alumni and Clune supporters went public with their anger over the coach’s dismissal. Two letters of support for Clune were printed in Tuesday’s Tribune and two more were printed Wednesday.

The school made no formal announcement regarding Clune. The Tribune received anonymous tips on Friday and Monday, and Mitchell confirmed the dismissal on Monday.

Clune was coming off one of his most successful seasons. The Gators finished 14-11 overall and 11-5 in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Clune’s other winning season was his first. He guided the Gators to a 16-12 record and an appearance in the conference tournament title game, where they lost to Division III national power Wooster. He was 96-112 overall in eight seasons and 62-67 in the NCAC. The Gators qualified for the postseason conference tournament, which takes eight of the conference’s 10 teams, the last six seasons and were semifinalists in 2007-08 and 2008-09. In his 15-year coaching career, which includes seven years as head coach at Bethany College (1995-2002), Clune is 165-223 all-time as a men’s basketball coach.

“No disrespect to the community. My first duty is to (Clune) and the young men on the team,” Mitchell said.

She said the team members were notified, and recruits have been contacted regarding the coaching change.

Clune, whose wife also works for the college, did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday evening.

Mitchell added that while she respects and appreciates Clune’s contributions to the college, she did not want those comments to appear disingenuous in light of the school’s decision to go in another direction.

Mitchell reiterated she would not discuss any of the circumstances that might have led to the decision or any of the criteria that was used to grade Clune’s performance.

Supporters have pointed out that Clune had the right mix athletic and academic focus for a Division III school and wins and losses should not be the only measuring stick for him.

“There are myriad factors that go into any coaching evaluation,” Mitchell said. “This was not capricious. There was a process.”

Mitchell said Clune returned to his Allegheny office and completed some administrative tasks after his dismissal. He is, however, no longer with the college in any capacity even as the school’s Web site continued to list him as the coach with an active e-mail address on Wednesday. Mitchell said updating the school’s Web site has not been a priority.

Mitchell said the decision was “really hard” and Clune’s involvement in the community is exactly what the school encourages.

“Rob has been very professional in this time,” Mitchell said.

Clune’s dismissal is the fourth high-profile coaching change at Allegheny since April 2007 when longtime head swimming coach Tom Erdos stepped down. Five months later, the college’s all-time winningest basketball coach, Jennifer Reimer, announced her resignation as head women’s basketball coach. Then in May of 2008, baseball coach Mike Ferris stepped down after 28 years of involvement with the program.

Mitchell said the changes are not symptomatic of any specific problems at the school. She said there are likely schools with both higher and lower ratios over the same time frame.

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