FORT WORTH, Texas -- A baseball coach at Texas Wesleyan University who told a Colorado athlete that the university doesn't accept recruits from Colorado because of past issues with drug tests has been fired.
University President Frederick Slabach said in a news conference Thursday morning that Mike Jeffcoat was fired because of the email he sent to the Colorado athlete as well as an unspecified NAIA rule violation.
"The comments Mike Jeffcoat made are in no way a reflection of our university or its values," Slabach said. "We do not tolerate discrimination."
Because of an ongoing investigation, Slabach did not provide any details about the alleged rule violation, only saying it was related to the eligibility of players and not any kind of discrimination.
Gavin Bell, a senior at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, expressed interest in attending Texas Wesleyan University in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and joining the school's baseball program, but was rejected in an email from Jeffcoat.
That email read: "Thanks for the interest in our program. Unfortunately, we are not recruiting players from the state of Colorado. In the past, players have had trouble passing our drug test. We have made a decision to not take a chance on Student-athletes from your state. You can thank your liberal politicians. Best of Luck wherever you decide to play."
Texas Wesleyan's baseball program currently has at least one member from Colorado on its roster.
