Thursday, October 04, 2007

More turnover at FGCU

Holly Vaughn, one of two female head coaches at Florida Gulf Coast University, has resigned her position as golf coach mid-season.
Though Vaughn would not comment on the contentious Title IX investigation of this past summer and subsequent EEOC filings, it appears that this resignation is a result of the hostile environment for female coaches at FGCU. Leaving mid-season with no place to go seems drastic and certainly hurts ones chances for future employment in coaching (especially given that Vaughn's record was not exceptional in the wins column). Former AD Merrily Dean Baker who filed the original complaint on behalf of a group of employees in the department told the Naples Daily News that Vaughn's resignation is likely a sign that things have not improved down in Florida.
What has changed: five new female assistant coaches have been hired. Their experiences in the department will be something to watch. Will the issues raised by Baker and others drive them out as well or will the department begin to change its ways? The latter does not seem out of the question given the FGCU is getting a new president in November. Outgoing (interim) president Dick Pegnetter was not very forthcoming or apparently receptive about these issues. Incoming president Wilson Bradshaw may have no choice given the publicity and the pending issues in front of the EEOC.

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