Editor's note: This report has been updated to reflect a previous version of the article. A correction that included a misspelling has been removed from the article.
Neil Macmillan, Ohio’s head field hockey coach since 2005, has left his position.
Anthony Reynolds, assistant athletics director for media relations, confirmed the athletic department “parted ways” with Macmillan. His departure comes after a week’s worth of reported interviews with the field hockey players on Macmillan’s performance as a coach.
According to sources close to the situation, Rachel McCarthy will be the interim head coach moving forward, though McCarthy’s promotion could not be confirmed by the athletic department.
All 22 athletes and a former athlete on the team were interviewed by the department this past week and were asked a series of questions about the head coach and the assistant coaches.
The questions in the interviews stemmed from a series of complaints that revolved around Macmillan’s coaching styles and the ways he treated the players during and outside of practice. The complaints included not allotting time for the athletes to eat on trips, making remarks about some of the players’ physical appearance, pressuring players to swipe him into dining halls for free meals and inconsistent coaching techniques, according to players who did not want to be named because they feared possible repercussions that could impact their scholarships.
The athletic department is not able to comment on the complaints or allegations, Reynolds said.
Since Macmillan is no longer associated with the athletic department, the athletic department was unable to provide comment from him.
The interviewers included the Director of Athletics Jim Schaus; Michael Courtney, associate general counsel and director of employee and labor relations; Deputy Athletic Director Amy Dean; and Sara Trower, executive director of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance and Title IX coordinator.
The season ended Sunday with a 4-12 record. Macmillan's 13-year career as an Ohio coach ends with a record of 132-125.
—Andrew Gillis contributed to this report.
