Career over for former BSU coach
Litchfield says he was unjustly fired for reporting basketball violations
Levin T. Black
More than seven months after his abrupt firing in December, former Ball State women's volleyball coach Randy Litchfield said he feels his coaching days are over.
"When a male who has coached women is fired under mysterious circumstances I can personally confirm the fact that that male's coaching days are over," Litchfield said Wednesday. "I have applied for over a dozen jobs, some not even good jobs, and I got 'ding' letters almost immediately. My feeling is my coaching career has been ruined."
The 2006 women's volleyball season was the first time the program had a losing record since Litchfield became coach in 1989. However, he places the blame for his termination solely on his former employer.
Litchfield and his former coaching staff were witnesses to the first set of the men's basketball coaching violations.
"My staff were unfortunate witnesses to that and were forced to file official statements of that with university compliance," Litchfield said. "We have some reason to believe our requirement to report these violations were connected to our termination."
While he has not decided whether or not to sue Ball State over his dismissal, he and his lawyers have taken the steps needed to make sure he will have the ability to sue in the future.
"My lawyer and I filled a very simple legal action," Litchfield said. "It gives us the opportunity to sue for my termination. It's called a tort claim notification. It doesn't mean I filed a suit; it gives me the ability to file suit."
According to Litchfield, he had a six-month window to file the tort claim from the day of his termination or the opportunity would no longer exist. Now that he has filed the needed paperwork, he has a three-year window to decide to sue.
Ball State Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins declined to comment on Wednesday.
Even though Litchfield coached women, he is not opposed to making the switch to men's volleyball. However, he said it is unlikely.
"When a male who has coached women is fired under mysterious circumstances I can personally confirm the fact that that male's coaching days are over," Litchfield said Wednesday. "I have applied for over a dozen jobs, some not even good jobs, and I got 'ding' letters almost immediately. My feeling is my coaching career has been ruined."
The 2006 women's volleyball season was the first time the program had a losing record since Litchfield became coach in 1989. However, he places the blame for his termination solely on his former employer.
Litchfield and his former coaching staff were witnesses to the first set of the men's basketball coaching violations.
"My staff were unfortunate witnesses to that and were forced to file official statements of that with university compliance," Litchfield said. "We have some reason to believe our requirement to report these violations were connected to our termination."
While he has not decided whether or not to sue Ball State over his dismissal, he and his lawyers have taken the steps needed to make sure he will have the ability to sue in the future.
"My lawyer and I filled a very simple legal action," Litchfield said. "It gives us the opportunity to sue for my termination. It's called a tort claim notification. It doesn't mean I filed a suit; it gives me the ability to file suit."
According to Litchfield, he had a six-month window to file the tort claim from the day of his termination or the opportunity would no longer exist. Now that he has filed the needed paperwork, he has a three-year window to decide to sue.
Ball State Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins declined to comment on Wednesday.
Even though Litchfield coached women, he is not opposed to making the switch to men's volleyball. However, he said it is unlikely.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Jeff Mellott
posted 7/12/07 @ 11:38 PM EST
He's right. You're dead meat if you're accused. I don't know the what can be done.
Snip Cahue
posted 7/15/07 @ 9:32 PM EST
You know, he's right, but sometimes people get fired because they act like jerks.
Litchfield doesn't have a case and he's done coaching at the D-I level. (Continued…)
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