After Concordia basketball coach was fired, a no-win situation for parents, players
RIVER FOREST, Ill. (CBS) – The head men's basketball coach at Concordia University is out. It's the latest in a story CBS 2 broke earlier this month when six of the team's players were hospitalized. Four trainers later quit.
CBS 2's Sara Machi was the first to report the controversy and has been talking with parents about their reaction to the latest development.
"A bad situation has gotten worse," said Ryan Collicot, whose son plays for the team, after learning about coach Steve Kollar's dismissal. "It just keeps getting worse every day. So that's why I'm a little upset about it. I thought we could overcome this and make it through, but it just keeps going downhill."
The final decision was announced exactly three weeks after Collicot's son, Jacob, was hospitalized with a diagnosis including rhabdomyolsis, when muscle breaks down and enters the bloodstream, often after extreme physical activity.
Five more players would also be hospitalized.
There were allegations of retaliation, some saying Kollar put the team through a punishing workout Dec. 31 when the team missed curfew after a tournament in the Los Angeles area.
"The kids are not held accountable in any way, shape or form," Collicot said. "And they're not even supposed to be. It's actually illegal for them to punish the children, which I think is crazy."
Parents and players were told of the coaching change on Monday in an email that said, "Significant new information has recently come to light." But CBS 2 asked what that meant and were told it's confidential. The school could give no further explanation.
"I don't think the school has been as transparent as they need to be," said Alan Hatten, another parent of a player.
Hatten said he has mixed feelings about the school's decision. But he said he does have concerns about their communication, including an offer to watch video of the Dec. 31 practice that never came through.
"We haven't been able to watch the practice film, and I know that some of the parents felt that the coach was putting the blame on the kids," Hatten said. "But here's what it boils down to: Some kids missed the curfew and the coach is to blame. So if the kids hadn't missed their curfew, then it probably wouldn't have happened, but hindsight is 20/20."
In a game of winners and losers, Hatten said this has been a no-win situation.