Recent Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and head coach of Loyola (IL) Sheryl Swoopes is currently under investigation by the university after a substantial amount of transfers from the program for the second season in a row, sources confirmed to the Chicago Tribune on Friday.
Reports came out earlier in the week that the departures have more to do with the way that Swoopes treats the players away from the court than anything that happens on the hardwood. Sources say that the Hall of Famer manages the players’ social lives, and pushes them to the point of misery in some cases. Last season 5 scholarship players requested a transfer or outright release from the school’s basketball program. After this past season that number doubled, with 10 of the schools 12 players jumping ship in order to get away from the former three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player.
On Friday, Loyola’s deputy athletic director Jermaine Truax released a statement on Swoopes and the investigation.
“Any time there are allegations of student-athlete mistreatment, it is more than concerning. The welfare of our student-athletes is paramount. Thus, the Loyola University Chicago has asked for an independent and comprehensive investigation into the women’s basketball program.”
Before Swoopes became the women’s head coach at Loyola in 2013, she had an illustrious playing career winning three Olympic gold medals and was the face of the WNBA during early years of the league, leading the Houston Comets to 4 consecutive championships from 1997-2000. As the coach at Loyola, she has lead the Ramblers to a 31-62 record over the past three years, going 14-16 during the 2015-16 regular season.
Let’s see how this all plays out, but bottom line is that even Mary Poppins would eventually get relieved of her duties if the team is not winning games.