When the athletics director announced he was firing the very successful swim coach Greg Werner and sending the program in a different direction, he must have meant to the (almost) bottom of the conference! The sixth place finish on March 2 is tied with the program’s worst — 1981 — the first year Women’s Swimming & Diving was in the Mid-American Conference! No alum swimmers or swim parents were surprised with the outcome. The Post editorial staff suggested the student body was owed an explanation for the firing but, of course, none was offered! Here it is: Some disgruntled swimmers went to the AD and complained they had to work too hard and evidently convinced the AD they knew more about training than the coach! That really worked out well! I ache for the freshman swimmers who found themselves in a program they didn’t sign up for, being led by a few entitled, spoiled “athletes.” I hope they run (not walk) to the AD and beg him to rehire Greg for the good of all involved and the program. I would hope the AD is a big enough man to admit he made a mistake. The head coaching position was posted during MAC — a real slap in the face to the current coaches and athletes — and they deserved more respect. As an alumna I am very disgusted with this university in many aspects these days. As well as an alumna, I’m the mother of two alums (’96 and ’99), including a swimmer who swam for Greg for four years. With much hard work and good coaching, Douglas became an excellent distance swimmer. He swam for 17 years, so we had many coaches! Swimming is a sport that requires self-discipline as well as good coaching.
Elsie Anderson Grebe graduated from Ohio University in 1968.
