IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa has reached a separation agreement with Executive Director of Football and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Doyle, effective June 15, 2020.
Among other tasty morsels in his golden parachute, Doyle will receive two lump sum payments of over $556,000.
In addition, the University of Iowa Office of General Counsel has engaged the Kansas City law firm of Husch Blackwell to conduct an independent review of issues and allegations relating to racial disparities within the football program.
As previously announced, Raimond Braithwaite will continue as interim director of the football strength and conditioning program.
Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair Gary Barta will be meeting with media at 1 p.m. The Separation Agreement and General Release are attached.
Gary Barta Statement: The University of Iowa has reached a separation agreement with Executive Director of Football and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Doyle. We wish Chris the best moving forward in his career.
Chris Doyle Statement: Iowa City has been home to our family for 21 years. I am grateful Iowa football provided an opportunity to work with incredible players, coaches, and support staff. I have worked diligently to make a positive impact on the lives of student-athletes, support them as they speak out, and look forward to continued growth. I am confident that my record and character will be confirmed in the course of the independent review. The University and I have reached an agreement and it is time to move on from Iowa football. My family and I are looking forward to the next chapter.
In cooperation with the independent review, Iowa will refrain from comment on this matter during the review process.
Former Iowa football players stepped forward in the wake of the murder of George Floyd to describe disparate treatment within the Iowa program, and many instances were described to involve Doyle. He released a statement after the allegations were leaking on social media, which reads:
Agreement:
Admittedly, I haven’t been following the allegations against the Iowa Football program closely. But, have any of the accusers provided actual details about how racial disparity exists within the program? I have seen no descriptive accounts that verify the claim.
Yes, there have been specific incidents. That is why Doyle is gone. To keep him would mean that the athletic department was ok with his bs.
So far, I found, ” Former players alleged Doyle disparaged, demeaned and bullied them while in the program.”
And this,”The questions surrounding Doyle surfaced when former Hawkeyes offensive lineman James Daniels tweeted his thoughts on the program on June 7. “There are too many racial disparities in the Iowa football program. Black players have been treated unfairly for far too long,”
That’s about all, one statement about “racial disparities” and allegations.
No proof found, but Iowa is hedging their bet, don’t want a “peaceful protest” to happen over it.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29279270/iowa-strength-coach-chris-doyle-disputes-claims-biased-behavior-based-race
I don’t follow sports, thank you for the link.
Agree. So far all I have seen or heard are platitudes from players. Not once have I heard a specific account of how players are treated differently based upon race.
I know Iowa runs a conservative program where poor behavior is not tolerated. My spidery sense is this is being construed by parasitic opportunists as ‘race disparity’.
I once knew a weight lifter that was as strong as any Big 10 lineman. He told me how to get strong was lift heavy weight many times. Never would have thought that information was worth millions of dollars.
There is a right way and a wrong way to get stronger. Doyle was good at building strong athletes. He was also good at his job but not very good in dealing with minority athletes.
Are you really in a position to say that with any certainty? I’ve yet to hear a player actually convey a descriptive account where they were treated unfairly because of their race. Seems more like a few young adults with childlike mentality were upset about a guy who didn’t tolerate poor behavior.
In this day and age a college student could learn all about strength and conditioning on-line. Should not have to pay someone $100,000’s a year to show the students what to do. Isn’t a college suppose to teach students how to learn on their own?
Wonderful, buy him off with our money. You can’t just fire these guys you have to pay them off.
More than likely none of the money paid to him will be taxpayer money. It will come from donors and the athletic department fund.
Still a gross mis-use of dollars, IMO. He stopped working, why does he deserve further compensation?
PS Iowa is a right to work state but we all know that only applies to the commoners working for peanuts.
Smells like Micich and her henchmen…
And it said they would not contest unemployment…..