Coach Wade voted off SBU island
Brendan Block
Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: News
Cleaning out his office, former Women's Head Soccer Coach Benjamin Wade appeared shaken as tears welled up in his eyes at the forced suddenness of his departure.
On February 16, Southwest Baptist University bought out the remainder of the "Survivor" contestant's coaching contract; just four days earlier, Wade had announced his eight-player 2009 recruiting class on the SBU Sports Information website.
A source close to the athletic department said Wade did not want to send out letters of intent unless his contract was going to be safe. He was told to send out the letters.
While Wade cleaned out his office, Athletic Director Brent Good, in an hour-long meeting, told members of the soccer team the University had decided to fire the coach.
Freshmen Rhiane Mitchell of England and Kelly Isaac of Wales walked out when they heard the news.
"It is going to affect us [the international players] a lot," said Mitchell, who scored an SBU all-time third-best 15 goals in an injury-shortened campaign. "We've got a lot of thinking to do… He [Good] told us that he had our best interests at heart. He didn't."
As the meeting closed, about 10 team members made their way to Mellers Dining Commons-not one of them without tears in their eyes. The raw emotion of the girls was coupled by disbelief. During the meeting, one of the players asked, "We forgave Coach, how come you [the school] can't?"
SBU officials have been reluctant to speak openly about Wade's buyout, but Good told the "Springfield News-Leader" that the school bought out his contract because "Wade did not tell Good that he left team at mid-season to be on television."
"I told them 'I've got to leave; you know I would not leave if it weren't an emergency'," said Wade in February 4th's edition of the "Omnibus." "'I can't get out of this and I have to go do it. I can't give you the details.' Then they jumped to conclusions that it was tied into what I went through with my brain tumor. That was something that grieved me when I came back and realized everyone was freaked out for my health. I was simply not allowed to tell anyone I was going to Brazil to be on Survivor."
On February 16, Southwest Baptist University bought out the remainder of the "Survivor" contestant's coaching contract; just four days earlier, Wade had announced his eight-player 2009 recruiting class on the SBU Sports Information website.
A source close to the athletic department said Wade did not want to send out letters of intent unless his contract was going to be safe. He was told to send out the letters.
While Wade cleaned out his office, Athletic Director Brent Good, in an hour-long meeting, told members of the soccer team the University had decided to fire the coach.
Freshmen Rhiane Mitchell of England and Kelly Isaac of Wales walked out when they heard the news.
"It is going to affect us [the international players] a lot," said Mitchell, who scored an SBU all-time third-best 15 goals in an injury-shortened campaign. "We've got a lot of thinking to do… He [Good] told us that he had our best interests at heart. He didn't."
As the meeting closed, about 10 team members made their way to Mellers Dining Commons-not one of them without tears in their eyes. The raw emotion of the girls was coupled by disbelief. During the meeting, one of the players asked, "We forgave Coach, how come you [the school] can't?"
SBU officials have been reluctant to speak openly about Wade's buyout, but Good told the "Springfield News-Leader" that the school bought out his contract because "Wade did not tell Good that he left team at mid-season to be on television."
"I told them 'I've got to leave; you know I would not leave if it weren't an emergency'," said Wade in February 4th's edition of the "Omnibus." "'I can't get out of this and I have to go do it. I can't give you the details.' Then they jumped to conclusions that it was tied into what I went through with my brain tumor. That was something that grieved me when I came back and realized everyone was freaked out for my health. I was simply not allowed to tell anyone I was going to Brazil to be on Survivor."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Bob Tolliver
posted 2/24/09 @ 10:17 PM CST
While I understand the ethical issues of firing Coach Wade, the fact that to have told anyone what he was doing would have disqualified him, he had no other choice. (Continued…)
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