ESPN.com - NCW - Oregon president receives report on program

EUGENE, Ore. – Two University of Oregon women's basketball players who attended a March 4 meeting involving eight players and athletics director Bill Moos told the Eugene Register-Guard on Wednesday that the meeting was called by the players to complain about head coach Judy Runge.

That followed by a day an Oregonian report in which four unnamed sources -- although two were said to be players -- said that the school has not been truthful about the meeting, that it was instigated by Moos and/or associate athletics director Renee Baumgartner.

But guards Shaquala Williams and Jamie Craighead went on record with the Register-Guard as saying the meeting was requested by the players and that it had been in the works for much of the season.

"Nobody forced us to go that meeting," said Williams, a junior who missed last season with a knee injury after being the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1999-2000. "It was not set up by the administration."

Williams and Craighead came forward to refute the Oregonian report, in which the four unidentified sources said the meeting was called on the false pretense of discussing the Ducks' WNIT options should they not be offered an NCAA Tournament berth. "That conversation lasted about two seconds," one of the players told the Portland newspaper, and then it developed into a meeting in regards to Runge's handling of players and the team.

The meeting, no matter who asked for it, has led to upheaval in the program. The school subsequently hired the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King to review the program, and the results of that study were delivered to university officials on Wednesday.

Some players at the March 4 meeting told Moos that Runge lacked communication and coaching skills, and said she should be fired.

Runge's attorney has said that no one at the university ever discussed player complaints directly with the coach. She was not given any details until she was interviewed by the firm on April 3.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories