Photo Credit: Cal Athletics
In the wake of the Louisville scandal, it seems that colleges have really been cracking down on any possible sex-related scandals occurring at their universities. The first to make this move is the California Golden Bears who have fired their assistant basketball coach just days before the NCAA Tournament. Yann Hufnagel’s firing comes amidst allegations of sexual harassment which violate the university’s sexual harassment policy.
According to a source that spoke with ESPN, the harassment allegedly occurred to a female reporter for the team. The UC Berkeley’s Office of the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination investigated the claims and found evidence of the harassment occurring. Hufnagel has claimed his innocence via ESPN, “I’m crushed…I can’t believe it. I’m blindsided. I never imagined this would be the outcome. Cal has been incredibly slow-moving in the process. I’m in the process of hiring a legal team to exonerate my name.” Even though Hufnagel claims innocence, it is clear that Cal saw or heard some evidence that helped them make their final decision.
In addition to Hufnagel addressing the media, Cal has released a statement. On the school’s official website, Cal broke the news: “California’s head men’s basketball coach, Cuonzo Martin, has initiated termination proceedings under University of California policy against assistant coach, Yann Hufnagel, Cal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Department announced today. Effective immediately, Hufnagel has been relieved of his duties pending the outcome of the termination process and will not be traveling with the team during its NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament run.” In addition to their statement, the Golden Bears have removed all traces of Hufnagel from their website.
At age 33, Hufnagel was in his third season with Golden Bears. He was hired in 2014 to work with Cuonzo Martin, current Golden Bears men’s basketball coach. The firing is only a small step into making college sports safe for women and one that Martin should be applauded for.
