Softball Update: ‘Not an easy road’

[Harry]

Tracey Kee came to the University of North Texas with a reputation as a winning college softball coach who pushed her players to the limit.

That approach led to her highly successful stint at East Carolina University before she was fired in the midst of accusations that her demanding nature fostered an emotionally hostile environment within the program.

The question now is if that same environment has emerged at UNT, the school that gave her a second chance as a college head coach.

The Denton Record-Chronicle spoke to seven current or former UNT players and several of their parents after two players raised questions about the state of the program following its second season under Kee. Five of UNT’s 12 players with eligibility remaining, or members of their families, have confirmed they have left the program. A sixth player with eligibility remaining quit the team in the middle of the spring season.

read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/sports-headlines/20150627-not-an-easy-road.ece

Edited June 28, 2015 by Harry

[Army of Dad]

It sounds like Coach Kee should be counting the days she has left here. If Vito wrote that piece there is something to the allegations. Vito has handled Benford with kid gloves and it looks like he's going to give Kee the same treatment he gave Dodge...

[Harry]

5 out of 12 have left? Smh

[97and03]

DAMMIT ARE WE BUILDING A STATUE OR NOT!!?!?!??!?!

[KRAM1]

Coach Kee signed a JUCO outfielder yesterday...two years of eligibility remain.  Good stats and signed after this stuff was known.  Looks like it isn't scaring off every player./

[NorthTexan95]

It sounds like Coach Kee should be counting the days she has left here. If Vito wrote that piece there is something to the allegations. Vito has handled Benford with kid gloves and it looks like he's going to give Kee the same treatment he gave Dodge...

I read nothing in the article that should really concern us.  It sounds like two players didn't like the coach and left.  That happens all the time in sports.  

[Army of Dad]

I read nothing in the article that should really concern us.  It sounds like two players didn't like the coach and left.  That happens all the time in sports.  

How often do you see a mass exodus of players and two of those players speak out about the way they were treated? It isn't very often.

Combine that with Kee's history (and don't forget about her assistant) and the way Vito covered this exodus and that adds up to a pretty concerning conclusion.

Vito was (and still is) vicious towards Dodge. Vito has been way nicer towards Benford and since Benford has had serious roster churn during his tenure you might expect the same treatment towards Kee, but then Vito gives us this article.

This could be a case of where there's smoke there's fire.