Hunter
12/06/21
The November firing of University of Iowa volleyball coach Vicki Brown was officially announced as “without cause,” but the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the university interviewed players and staff individually as part of a program review in the previous month.
Records The Gazette received last week after an open records request indicate that the Athletic Department conducted a review in October that involved confidential interviews with senior associate athletics director for human resources Suzanne Hilleman, as well as faculty athletic representatives Liz Hollingsworth and Nicole Grosland. An e-mail sent to student athletes and their parents said that the interviews were an opportunity for an open discussion about their experiences in the program.
Hilleman wrote a follow-up e-mail November 1st saying that feedback from the interviews would be shared with administration, Coach Brown and players that week. When asked about what sparked the review in the first place, director of athletics communication Steve Roe had no comment for the newspaper.
Coach Brown’s contract ran through 2024 with a clause in the event that she was fired without cause. She was paid $370,000 as part of the agreement; in return, Brown agreed to not file any legal action regarding the firing.
The Gazette reached out to Coach Brown for comment, but she reportedly declined.