Cal U student athletes, union protest coaching cuts
California University of Pennsylvania student athletes on Friday protested the elimination of six assistant coaching positions — five this year, and one next year.
“I came out because I think it’s absolutely ridiculous what they’re doing,” said Eric Fairman, a freshman baseball player who led the march around campus. “These assistant coaches put in so much work that goes unnoticed … and now they’re just being let go. I think it’s completely unfair.”
Fairman, and about 20 other student athletes held signs and chanted, “save the coaches,” as they marched around campus Friday afternoon.
Members of the union representing faculty and coaches at Cal U — the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) — were also present to make known their concerns.
“We want to know, what’s the plan, what’s the goal, what’s the vision?” said Glenn Francis, APSCUF coaches’ president, and head coach of women’s soccer. “Where does athletics fit into the long-term and short-term plan of the university?”
Cal U Interim President Geraldine M. Jones announced last month that the university will leave the assistant coaching positions for the women’s soccer, men’s soccer, baseball, football and softball programs unfilled when the contracts expire on June 30 of this year.
One additional assistant coaching position, in volleyball, will remain unfilled after that contract expires on June 30, 2016.
According to Cal U, the university’s operating expenses amounted to $10 million for fiscal year 2014 — the highest among all State System schools. Cal U also had the highest coaching and administrative support salary-and-benefits cost among the State System schools at $4.26 million for fiscal year 2014, which is a portion of the $10 million operating budget.
“Workforce adjustments are an essential step in moving the university forward as a strong and fiscally responsible institution,” Jones said in a statement. “Nevertheless, it is always difficult to make changes that affect people’s livelihoods. I can assure you that the decision to downsize our athletics staff was made only after careful consideration.”
The university added that previous workforce planning has affected employees in other areas between 2012 and 2015. Non-represented staff and managers are down 16.5 percent while unionized staff are down 10.6 percent. However, the number of faculty on campus, including coaches, increased by 4.4 percent over that time.
Barbara Hess, APSCUF faculty president, however, said that APSCUF is not seeing transparency in the budget.
“I am finding it hard to fathom we are in such financial crisis that we now need to cut coaches,” Hess said. “At APSCUF Legislative Assembly, we found out Cal U is predicting no change in the number of managers, yet we have the third highest number of managers in the State System. None of them are being cut, and 90 percent of them do not work directly with students. Our coaches work directly with our student athletes. This cutback will affect the quality of athletics at Cal U and may jeopardize the well-being of our student athletes.”
Francis said his biggest concern is that the well-being of Cal U’s student athletes will be negatively affected.
“Some of the coaches have 25 to 30 kids,” he said. “How are we going to have enough time to mold these kids into better competitors and better citizens with only one coach? Time is going to be an issue, and we’re going to be spreading ourselves thin.”
Not only are Francis and Hess concerned about current student athletes, but also, those who are being recruited by the university.
Fairman said he had a close relationship Anthony Rebyanski, the assistant baseball coach who recruited him to the university.
“They do so much work with recruiting and getting kids to come up here, and getting the best talent on the team,” Fairman said. “The (baseball) team will definitely suffer from it.”
The enrollment numbers at Cal U for the spring semester are down slightly, with 7,626 students enrolled, just 85 students, or 1.1 percent less than in 2014
Francis said he believes the elimination of the assistant coaching positions will hurt the university in this regard as well.
“The group that is affected right now is the group that can help change that dynamic,” Francis said.
Hess and Glenn said they also take issue with the cuts because they believe they contradict the findings from The Compliance Group (TCG) report that Jones sanctioned following the Oct. 30 off-campus incident in which six Cal U football team members were charged with aggravated assault and other offenses.
“The report addresses football, but in general, it’s asking for more support for student athletes,” Hess said. “If it’s asking for more support of student athletes you don’t do that by cutting assistant coaches.”