Washington Huskies

[reiker21]

Just curious. I saw a post regarding controversary again over the recruiting this year for the Huskies. What is going on?

[hwnstunner]

For that matter, can someone also tell me what the heck happened at Utah? Please?

[Ye Olde Dawg]

It's not over recruiting; it's over a transfer. As with many controversies, it's based mainly on rumor and conjecture, fed by the willingness of some people to believe an unsavory explanation.

The facts:

Airial Salvo transferred out of Utah at a bad time: at the end of the Spring -- after a trip to Europe, I think. Sydney Anderson left the program at the same time.

A member of Salvo's family was quoted as saying she'd heard from a staff member while training with the national team that her volleyball career would be helped if she were in a different school, specifically in a stronger conference like the Pac-10.
  By the way, when Salvo actually talked about why she left, it was about being unhappy at Utah. Nothing about volleyball career aspirations or anything like that.

Salvo eventually transferred to Washington. Because Utah didn't grant a release, she's taking a year as a redshirt. (Anderson hasn't found a college program; she's training with the national team this year.)

So far as I know, the only solid connection to Washington in this story is that Washington is where she ended up. The rest is speculation. Call it stirring up controversy if you like.

[bulldog3]

It does seem like a lot of transfers seem to fall on Jimmy Mac's doorstep.

[JustInCase]

I'm guessing if I was a good player and I wanted to transfer, Washington, among others would be one of the first schools I would check to see if they had interest.

[pedro el leon]

bulldog3 said:

It does seem like a lot of transfers seem to fall on Jimmy Mac's doorstep.

Oh yes, 3 transfers in 6 years is unsavory. Call the NCAA investigation committee!

This forum oozes with spite. Gotta love it. JM has never got in trouble and never will because he plays by the rules. People here are envious of his success so they tell themselves (and others through this board) that he somehow cheats and manipulates. Good day and stay classy (like the UW volleyball program.)

[StanfordFan]

Following the letter of the rules doesn't make someone ethically sound. I don't know anything about the Salvo situation, so I don't care about that. Filing for an extra year of eligibility for Tomasevic when you know that it's a long shot with little real basis is pretty unsavory in my mind. It's not enough to keep me up at night, but you can't just say that any criticism of McLaughlin is exclusively because of envy.

kevin said:

bulldog3 said:

It does seem like a lot of transfers seem to fall on Jimmy Mac's doorstep.

Oh yes, 3 transfers in 6 years is unsavory. Call the NCAA investigation committee!

This forum oozes with spite. Gotta love it. JM has never got in trouble and never will because he plays by the rules. People here are envious of his success so they tell themselves (and others through this board) that he somehow cheats and manipulates. Good day and stay classy (like the UW volleyball program.)

[Barefoot In Kailua]

kevin said:

bulldog3 said:

It does seem like a lot of transfers seem to fall on Jimmy Mac's doorstep.

Oh yes, 3 transfers in 6 years is unsavory. Call the NCAA investigation committee!

This forum oozes with spite. Gotta love it. JM has never got in trouble and never will because he plays by the rules.

People here are envious of his success so they tell themselves (and others through this board) that he somehow cheats and manipulates. Good day and stay classy (like the UW volleyball program.)

I don't believe he plays by the rules. I for one am not envious of his success considering how that success was attained.

[pedro el leon]

Whatever. His players and the staff know who Jim and what an honest, hard-working man he is and that's what matters... Not what a faceless internet alias thinks.

[stillcrazy]

It is not a head coach's responsibility to determine the eligibility of their incoming athletes. Certainly, if s/he knows an athlete to be ineligible, s/he would be obligated to stop recuiting the athlete or, if already signed, report the situation to the Assistant or
Associate AD in charge of compliance. If the coach is uncertain about eligibility, s/he would report what s/he knew to the Compliance officer to investigate. It would then be up to that person and the NCAA to determine eligibility.

I recruited a number of foreign athletes. Unless I knew they were inelible because they lacked the necessary SAT score as required by the NCAA or the TOEFL score as required by the university, I never knew whether an athlete would be declared eligible or not. My job was to recuit the athlete, then turn the eligibility issue over to the Admissions Department and the Compliance Officer.

Tomasavic was being recruited by at least one other Pac-10 school. She chose Washington. My guess would be that McLaughlin made a scholarship offer, not knowing for sure whether she would be eligible or not. He probably then turned it over to Compliance to make the eligibilty determination. Fortunately for the Huskies, she was declared eligible. As for the fourth year she was granted, the Huskies too may have felt it was a long shot, but they did not determine her to be eligible - the NCAA did.

Suggesting McLaughlin does not "play by the rules" would mean that you believe he had verifiable information that she was ineligible and failed to report it. Doing that would put his job in jeopardy, as well as the success of the team, which would have been very good even without Sanja.

[StanfordFan]

I'm not talking about the recruitment. I'm talking about the extra year of eligibility--putting in a request knowing that it was a long shot because it was not really factually legitimate. Sure, still playing by the rules because it's the NCAA's decision ultimately. But still skeezy in my mind.

As I said, it is what it is. They won a national championship, which was McLaughlin's goal. The counter is that people think he's unethical--and not just because of envy.

stillcrazyafterall said:

It is not a head coach's responsibility to determine the eligibility of their incoming athletes. Certainly, if s/he knows an athlete to be ineligible, s/he would be obligated to stop recuiting the athlete or, if already signed, report the situation to the Assistant or
Associate AD in charge of compliance. If the coach is uncertain about eligibility, s/he would report what s/he knew to the Compliance officer to investigate. It would then be up to that person and the NCAA to determine eligibility.

I recruited a number of foreign athletes. Unless I knew they were inelible because they lacked the necessary SAT score as required by the NCAA or the TOEFL score as required by the university, I never knew whether an athlete would be declared eligible or not. My job was to recuit the athlete, then turn the eligibility issue over to the Admissions Department and the Compliance Officer.

Tomasavic was being recruited by at least one other Pac-10 school. She chose Washington. My guess would be that McLaughlin made a scholarship offer, not knowing for sure whether she would be eligible or not. He probably then turned it over to Compliance to make the eligibilty determination. Fortunately for the Huskies, she was declared eligible. As for the fourth year she was granted, the Huskies too may have felt it was a long shot, but they did not determine her to be eligible - the NCAA did.

Suggesting McLaughlin does not "play by the rules" would mean that you believe he had verifiable information that she was ineligible and failed to report it. Doing that would put his job in jeopardy, as well as the success of the team, which would have been very good even without Sanja.

[Barefoot In Kailua]

kevin said:

Whatever. His players and the staff know who Jim and what an honest, hard-working man he is and that's what matters... Not what a faceless internet alias thinks.

I don't doubt that he is a hard working individual but for Washington fans to come here and paint the guy as a saint is utter BS!

[prosem]

stanfordfan said:

putting in a request knowing that it was a long shot because it was not really factually legitimate.

[/quote]

The request for an extra year was a long shot. But in my opinon, as opposed to your opinion , is it was a long shot because the facts may have not be strong enough for the ncaa to award another year to Sonja. NOT because it was not "factually legitimate". The idea that it was not a factual legitimate request is just your opinion.

It may also be the opinion of other posters here. However, group opinion is not fact either. Espicially when , IMHO, many have suspect motives for their reading of the "facts"

As for Jim being a saint. I will agree. He is not, as is anyone. I judge a coach by the conduct, the class, the sucess in life of the players he coaches. How they handle winning and lossing. How they connect and give to the greater community. In all thoes things Jim has shown he is not only a good coach, but a good person.

As yet, I have not heard any "legitimate" arguments that Jim is unethical as well as does not follow the rules. What I have heard often is opinion and belief mistaken for facts.

[pedro el leon]

stanfordfan said:

I'm not talking about the recruitment. I'm talking about the extra year of eligibility--putting in a request knowing that it was a long shot because it was not really factually legitimate. Sure, still playing by the rules because it's the NCAA's decision ultimately. But still skeezy in my mind.

As I said, it is what it is. They won a national championship, which was McLaughlin's goal. The counter is that people think he's unethical--and not just because of envy.

stillcrazyafterall said:

It is not a head coach's responsibility to determine the eligibility of their incoming athletes. Certainly, if s/he knows an athlete to be ineligible, s/he would be obligated to stop recuiting the athlete or, if already signed, report the situation to the Assistant or
Associate AD in charge of compliance. If the coach is uncertain about eligibility, s/he would report what s/he knew to the Compliance officer to investigate. It would then be up to that person and the NCAA to determine eligibility.

I recruited a number of foreign athletes. Unless I knew they were inelible because they lacked the necessary SAT score as required by the NCAA or the TOEFL score as required by the university, I never knew whether an athlete would be declared eligible or not. My job was to recuit the athlete, then turn the eligibility issue over to the Admissions Department and the Compliance Officer.

Tomasavic was being recruited by at least one other Pac-10 school. She chose Washington. My guess would be that McLaughlin made a scholarship offer, not knowing for sure whether she would be eligible or not. He probably then turned it over to Compliance to make the eligibilty determination. Fortunately for the Huskies, she was declared eligible. As for the fourth year she was granted, the Huskies too may have felt it was a long shot, but they did not determine her to be eligible - the NCAA did.

Suggesting McLaughlin does not "play by the rules" would mean that you believe he had verifiable information that she was ineligible and failed to report it. Doing that would put his job in jeopardy, as well as the success of the team, which would have been very good even without Sanja.

I can see how that may look to non-UW fans... but he did that for Sanja as a person more than Sanja as an elite player. That may sound completely BS but it's true.

You stated that his goal is to win national championships. I can tell you with absolute sincerity that that is not his goal, or at least not the top of his goals. First and foremost of his goals is that every player graduates. You may say that is every coaches top goal and they just say that to appease the admins, but as I said before, he is a man of his word.. not to mention that goal has been met from what I know. Part of that success is because the demands he places in the players he recruits.


And look, although it sounds like it, I really am not trying to paint a rosy picture about "Saint Jim." But if anybody here is questioning his integrity than that question is completely misplaced. He is truely one of the most stand-up persons I have ever met and observed.

I just wish some others here could meet and observe him before judging him. Instead of being prejudice based on speculation and assumptions -- that is downright wrong and I dont have the willpower to ignore it even though I should.

[OverAndUnder]

Someone remind me of when Tomasevic graduated...?