UPDATE: Coach Mike Jeffcoat was fired following the controversy over the email sent to Gavin Bell.
Texas Wesleyan University’s head baseball coach emailed a Colorado high school player saying the college team doesn’t recruit prospects from his state because they’ve “had trouble passing our drug test.”
Coach Mike Jeffcoat, a former major league pitcher, sent the email to Gavin Bell, a senior at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, local news reported. Bell initially emailed Jeffcoat for insight on Texas Wesleyan’s recruitment process, the station said.
“Thanks for the interest in our program,” Jeffcoat wrote back. “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.”
Jeffcoat’s response presumably was in reference to Colorado allowing recreational marijuana use — a law that’s been in effect since 2014.
Texas Wesleyan Vice President John Veilleux said the Fort Worth, Texas, school was “definitely aware” of Jeffcoat’s email, ESPN reported.
“The comments he made are in no way a reflection of Texas Wesleyan University, its values or its recruiting practices,”
Veilleux noted, the outlet said. “This is a personnel matter and it is currently under investigation. We follow due process here. It is our university policy to not discuss personnel matters.”
After Bell received Jeffcoat’s email, he shared it with his teacher and coaches — and one of them shared it publicly, the station said.
“My intention really wasn’t to do anything to hurt anybody or get anybody fired,” Bell told reporters. “It was just me talking to my coaches and my loved ones like, ‘What do I do with it?’”
Is it fair for the baseball coach at Texas Wesleyan to use his personal feelings about a now LEGAL substance as an excuse to deny players the right to play at the university? What do you think?
