Vols Coaches Show United Front in Wake of Lawsuit Allegations

All sixteen Vols head coaches gathered for a press conference on Tuesday morning.
They wanted to show a united front in response to a recent lawsuit that claims the school has violated title nine regulations for women and created a hostile sexual environment at the University.
The lawsuit was filed by six UT female students, and it accuses four Vols athletes of sexual assault.
When you get 16 coaches on one stage, that’s a team, and the team is hurting because of the allegations in the lawsuit.
Said football coach Butch Jones,”We have good people, and they’re embarrassed by it. They’re upset about it. They know that’s not who we are.”
Holly Warlick says it’s having an impact on prospective athletes.
“Is it mentioned in recruiting. Yes.”
All coaches stress they’re constantly advising athletes on proper conduct.
Said softball coach Karen Weekly,”Alcohol is present on any college campus. It doesn’t matter where you go. usually a lot of these things happen when alcohol is involved. So we talk to our student athletes a lot about those kinds of choices.”
The coaches also wanted to shine a spotlight on all that is good at the University of Tennessee.
Said volleyball coach Rob Patrick,”You don’t have a 3.0 GPA average for your whole athletic department if there is a culture that isn’t good.”
Said baseball coach Dave Serrano,”We just came back from Chattanooga this weekend. One of the hotel attendants grabbed us and said I just want to let you know that this may be the best well-mannered team that has ever come through our facility.”
And the women’s program’s do not take a back seat to the mens’.
Said women’s golf coach Judi Pavon,”I don’t know if you know this. You probably don’t know this. Women’s golf shares the same training room with football. Our trainer says we have the best women’s golf training room in the country. It’s true. I also tell our recruits that a female golfer coming to UT is treated as well as Josh Dobbs, and I believe it.”
Added Warlick,”I think that the University is not treating women fairly. It is totally not true.”