The Virginia HBCU soccer crew comes beneath hearth amid allegations of economic impropriety, damaged guarantees and verbal abuse by former recruiting coordinator.
The Virginia College of Lynchburg‘s soccer program has come beneath current scrutiny on social media amid allegations of misconduct and impropriety.
The HBCU soccer crew comes beneath hearth amid allegations of economic impropriety, damaged guarantees and verbal abuse by former recruiting coordinator and operating backs coach Doe Edwards, who detailed his grievances with the group late final yr.
Edwards, a Maryland-based soccer recruiting specialist, who stepped down from the soccer program in November 2023, took to social media a month later to warn folks about what he claimed had been “nefarious operations” inside the VUL program, largely by Dragons head coach and athletic director Tim Newman.
Edwards created the hashtag #SurvivingVUL on X to carry consciousness to the underlying mistreatment all through the college’s soccer program.
In a current put up through the soccer program’s Twitter account, they addressed claims made by gamers and a former assistant coach.
“It has been dropped at the College’s consideration {that a} former assistant soccer coach has begun making slanderous and unfaithful statements concerning the College and its soccer crew,” the assertion begins.
“We remorse that our former coach left the College’s teaching workers on dangerous phrases, however we additionally can not stand idly by whereas the identify of our establishment is impugned with out trigger.”
Edwards additionally alleges verbal abuse from Newman, together with shouting expletives at gamers throughout practices and in video games. The journey and residing situations had been additionally a degree of emphasis. “He wouldn’t see these youngsters for hours as a result of we’re taking bus rides,” he mentioned.
“We’re speaking 9, 10, 13-hour journeys. We’d go away college at 6 a.m. and never eat till 5 p.m. that night time. There was a sport the place he took us to Cici’s Pizza three hours earlier than sport time and Little Caesar’s after the sport.”
Edwards additionally claims Newman requested him to proceed working with no contract.
“I’m considering I’m gaining one thing from this expertise. I got here again residence with nothing,” Edwards mentioned. “He mentioned to maintain recruiting, and he would attempt to get me cash within the spring. All we received was the naked minimal, I may’ve made extra at McDonald’s.”
VUL, a member of the Nationwide Christian Faculty Athletic Affiliation, is a non-public, faith-based HBCU in Lynchburg, Virginia. The College has sadly grow to be a recognized commodity in Black Faculty soccer for adverse causes, reportedly providing themselves as much as NCAA Division I and Division II applications looking for a win.
Edwards claimed that gamers and different coaches would usually have to help injured gamers off the sphere as a result of there was nobody else out there to assist. Opponents allegedly would usually pay their trainers further to render help to VUL’s gamers. Edwards additionally talked about that the soccer program charged gamers a camp charge previous to reporting for coaching camp.
“We had no trainers; Children had been taking part in by accidents all season,” he mentioned. “In school soccer, you will need to have trainers and EMS for practices and video games. Think about if a child died throughout follow. [Newman] put these titles on those that don’t have certifications.”
The soccer program additionally addressed these allegations of their current assertion, citing that their crew has a doctor and athletic trainers for each sport per NCCAA guidelines and accounts for the vacation spot of payouts for video games in opposition to Division I opponents.
“All assure funds made by internet hosting faculties for the College’s away video games have been paid on to the College and used for the cost of the soccer crew’s bills,” the assertion says. “Soccer is an costly sport for any college to keep up, and assure funds are frequent in school soccer to cowl the prices of transporting, lodging, and feeding the athletes, coaches and workers.”
The assertion mentions VUL obtained $206,000 for video games in opposition to FCS opponents Presbyterian, Merrimack, Robert Morris, Delaware State, South Carolina State, and Kennesaw State.
“VUL is happy with its soccer crew and its devoted student-athletes. VUL has at all times, and can proceed to try for excellence on behalf of its college students and student-athletes,” the assertion concludes.
“However what some could select to do or say utilizing the anonymity of web-based platforms, VUL will proceed in its dedication to serving those that select to pursue increased schooling at our nice and historic College.”
