Posted by khh on January 13, 10 at 15:08:46:
ASU's Murphy falsely used as scapegoat
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Willie Bloomquist, Commentary
January 12, 2010 - 12:07PM
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Willie Bloomquist
In this June 19, 2009, file photo, Arizona State coach Pat Murphy reacts after losing 4-3 to Texas in an NCAA College World Series baseball game in Omaha, Neb. Murphy left Arizona State on Nov. 20 after 15 seasons as baseball coach.
Tribune FileI had the privilege of playing for Arizona State University baseball coach Pat Murphy from 1997 to 1999 and, like many of you, I am still questioning his recent termination. ASU's poor handling of the situation has now been well documented, but their mistake of concealing the firing still demands a public explanation.
If one studies the situation, you needn't look any further than the 2005 Loren Wade incident to understand that Murphy is paying for past sins. Wade, an ASU football player, was found guilty of second-degree murder after shooting former ASU player Brandon Falkner. The Wade scandal highlighted an inconsistent path of poor decision making and clear proof that under ASU President Michael Crow and athletic director Lisa Love, there is clearly a lack of institutional control at the university.
NCAA allegations into wrongdoing within the ASU baseball program - they are only allegations at this point - aren't all against Murphy. The ones that are reflect minor incidents that shouldn't have risen to the level of a firing. In fact, ASU and the Indianapolis-based law firm Ice Miller conducted an internal investigation into these same incidents. If they were indeed serious, ASU should have dismissed Murphy when the internal inquiry was finished.
But ASU didn't fire Murphy and instead turned over a report to the NCAA that described the allegations as minor, secondary violations that were isolated, inadvertent and unintentional.
Where is the logic in ASU's administrative action? The university conducted an internal investigation and submitted a report of satisfactory findings then gave Murphy a "glowing" season-ending evaluation in July 2009. So why fire him on Nov. 20?
When ASU received word from the NCAA that the athletic department deserved the blame rather than Murphy, Crow and Love knew they were in hot water. They knew that the finger of suspicion was now pointed directly at them, and the only way to solve the problem was to devise an alternative script that portrayed Murphy as the scapegoat.
It's a shame that in sports, politics and business, everyone is looking to throw someone else under the bus. Murphy, like everyone, isn't perfect, but over the course of a 25-year career as a head coach his track record is relatively spotless. He is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. Murphy has become a leader in our community and is a father figure to so many young men.
This situation could have been handled behind closed doors. Crow and Love could have worked with Murphy to solve the problem. But they chose a different route and in doing so proved that they are no longer in ethical standing with the university and the community. If anyone should be "forced to resign," it should be Love and Crow, who botched a relatively easy situation, ruined ASU's best sports program and damaged Murphy's reputation in the process.
Willie Bloomquist is a Major League Baseball player with the Kansas City Royals who played for Murphy at ASU.