The GPSA wants to give head football coach Mike Locksley a second chance.
The Graduate and Professional Students Association passed a resolution Saturday urging the University not to terminate the coach, who is under fire after he had an altercation with assistant coach Jonathan “J.B.” Gerald Sept. 20.
The GPSA passed the resolution with 13 in favor, none opposed and two abstentions.
The graduate student government recommends Locksley go to anger management, engage in mediation with Gerald and attend peer mentoring-group meetings.
“The GPSA feels strongly that coach Locksley’s violent behavior should not be condoned,” according to the resolution.
Locksley said on Sunday that he wasn’t aware the GPSA had passed the resolution.
However, the coach said he would take whatever measures are necessary to clear his name, even if it means accepting further sanctions after the investigation by the University’s Human Resources department.
“I’m willing to do whatever Human Resources dictates I do,” he said. “I’m willing to do anything to mend a relationship with a friend. As far as what their outlines are, I don’t know much about the resolution. Just as a person, I’ll do anything that I need to do to improve as a head coach.”
GPSA President Lissa Knudsen said several groups asked for the graduate student government’s opinion on the issue.
“I got a couple of calls from a couple different departments that were not council reps,” she said. “All expressed interest in finding out how graduate and professional students felt about this issue. They felt like we should take some kind of stance on this.”
GPSA member Michelle Touson said at the meeting that Locksley staying on at the University would teach his players to adapt to challenges.
“I would like to see coach Locksley stay around simply because the best example he can show his young men is that you can rebound from mistakes,” Touson said.
Before the GPSA passed the resolution, members discussed whether they should speak out on the incident.
Council member Robyn Lubisco suggested the council table the vote and wait for more information. She said due process would resolve the issue.
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Touson said Locksley personally recruited young players who might leave if he is fired.
Lubisco said hypothetical situations like that weren’t important to the GPSA’s resolution.
“A lot of us don’t know about the situation here today,” Lubiso said. “A lot of us are reading quotes or making assumptions that if he leaves, people will leave.”
