Ouch
What
a mess:
After a harrowing two years on the sidelines, Todd Hoffner reclaimed his job Wednesday as head football coach at Minnesota State University, Mankato, only to be blindsided by a player rebellion at his return.
Instead of taking the field in uniform for a spring practice attended by Hoffner, the players gathered and read a statement proclaiming their allegiance to Aaron Keen, the coach who led them to two sterling seasons after Hoffner was dismissed following allegations that he had made pornographic videos of his young children.
“As a collective unit, we’ve all agreed that we will stick together and show our support in having Aaron Keen as the head football coach at Minnesota State University, Mankato,” junior safety Samuel Thompson read from the statement. “We’ve all become outstanding community members, students and athletes, in the last year and a half since the removal of Todd Hoffner. Throughout this process, our voice has been silent. It is time our voice is heard. We want information, we want answers, because this is our team.”
A few thoughts:
- Hoffner was wronged, grievously wronged. He deserved to get his job back.
- Having said that, I'm not sure he ever could go back to Mankato and expect things to be the same.
- I do feel that the interim coach, Aaron Keen, was wronged as well. The players certainly are within their right to point that out, although their actions yesterday were pretty petulant.
- Having said that, the town isn't big enough for Hoffner and Keen to both be the coach.
- While Hoffner deserves to prevail, it would probably be better for all concerned if he instead took a big check and went back to Minot State, where he was the coach in his period of exile.
2 comments:
It's as if rushing to judgment creates huge disasters.....agreed that Hoffner should simply ask for a big check for two years missed pay plus damages. It's Mankato State that should feel the pain, not Hoffner or his replacement.
I can understand where the players are coming from. Any team, especially one that has had some success, is going to feel loyalty to the coach that has coached them the last two years and lost only 2 games. Can you just set that aside? A one-day, unified protest shows support for the coach and character, and shows they don't appreciate being jacked around, especially as a result of administrative bungling. The former coach should respect, even admire that. That said, on Day 2, the players have to come ready to strap it on and go forward.
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