Barta calls coach’s firing ‘very difficult’

IOWA CITY - In his first public comments since dismissing field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta stands by his decision but called it 'very difficult.”

Griesbaum, who coached Iowa for 14 years, was fired on Aug. 5 after a summer-long investigation by UI Human Resources and the UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (EOD). Per her contract, Griesbaum received a $200,000 severance package.

Barta said he 'started to learn of some concerns” about Griesbaum in the spring and requested the university conduct an independent investigation. The EOD worked through the summer and completed the report shortly before Griesbaum's dismissal.

'It was extensive,” Barta said. 'The reason why it took a while was because they interviewed a lot of people. It was a very brief turnaround once I received the final report.

'I made the decision when I received the findings of the investigation. I had met with many people. It wasn't just me receiving results and then making a decision. It was talking with a lot of people, including the coach, including the president's office, HR, EOD, general counsel. After talking to all of those people, I made the decision.”

University officials thus far have denied requests by The Gazette to obtain the report, citing an exemption through state open records law and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Barta declined to provide specific details from the investigation.

Griesbaum and her supporters deny the report's findings, which accuses her of mentally and verbally abusing former student-athletes.

'As a veteran coach, if I was terminated because of fear and intimidation, I would say I deserved it. But it's not warranted,” Griesbaum told the Associated Press last week. 'I have conducted myself as an utmost professional every single day of my career. I don't want to cite any specific accusations, but there's a lot of untruths and a lot of fabrications being stirred up by a group of student-athletes who once played here.”

University of Iowa President Sally Mason reiterated her support for Barta's decision Thursday.

'You all know that I support the athletic director's decision. He's making good decisions,” Mason told members of the Presidential Committee on Athletics. 'I absolutely support him. I support our interim coach, Lisa Cellucci. I support the students on that team. I'm looking forward to a year for them that I hope will be a positive one. Obviously not without a little stress.'

Griesbaum was fired one week before the start of fall camp. Barta said the timing made his decision more difficult but did not factor in the outcome.

Cellucci, a longtime assistant, was named the interim head coach. Faye Thompson, the team's trainer since the early 1980s, resigned on Thursday. The team competes this weekend in North Carolina as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

The field hockey players continue to support Griesbaum, from writing a public letter last week to placing 'Reinstate TG” stickers on their field-hockey sticks. Barta said he has met multiple times with the players - as a team, individually and in small groups.

'I think the student-athletes have done an incredibly wonderful and professional job of dealing with a real difficult situation,” Barta said. 'Our conversations have been very civil. They certainly have great concerns, and I knew they would. They've been very civil and very professional.

'What I've done from the moment I made the decision, is just focused on them and Coach Cellucci and try to help this team go forward and have success. I've been very impressed with how well they've handled this situation.”

Griesbaum compiled a 169-107 record, winning three Big Ten Tournament titles, one regular-season crown. Iowa advanced to six NCAA tournaments and earned a Final Four berth in 2008.

'She was one of our most successful coaches,” Barta said. 'If you would have asked me six months ago if I'd be making this decision, I would have said no. But with the information I had, I had to make it.”

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