WHITEWATER FOOTBALL COACH APOLOGIZES TO STUDENT PAPER

By Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater head football coach Lance Leipold on Thursday apologized to the campus newspaper and to a student journalist, just a day after he said he would ban student reporters from covering his team.

In a statement released by the school, Leipold, a two-time national coach of the year, said he apologized to the Royal Purple, the student newspaper, for his use of inappropriate language to a reporter and his banning of the newspaper from covering the team.

Leipold said he would cooperate with the paper in the future.

In an email to student reporter Christopher Kuhagen, who wrote a story about Leipold in the campus newspaper, Leipold offered the apology. And he acknowledged that the reporter, the UW-Whitewater campus community and alumni expect and deserve better from the head football coach.

The furor erupted after Leipold was angered by an editorial written by Michael Daly, the paper's managing editor. The editorial was about an incident involving three members of the football team.

Paul Plinske, the school's athletic director, said Leipold's behavior was unacceptable.

"I am disappointed that Coach Leipold responded in this manner," Plinske said in a statement. "This is by no means a reflection on Warhawk athletics. Instead, it is an instance where an excellent coach allowed his passion for the program and his team to get the best of him. Coach Leipold knows his behavior was unacceptable."

Asked if Leipold would be formally reprimanded for his actions, Plinske wrote in an e-mail that, "It's a personnel matter that will be taken up with the Chancellor when he returns to campus from meetings in Madison."

UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer said in the campus statement that he supported Plinske, adding that he thought the relationship between the football program and the student newspaper can be repaired.

"Lance Leipold admitted that he behaved poorly and he has apologized. It is my hope that we learn from this situation and move forward," Telfer said. "The Warhawk football program is one of the best in the nation and we want to focus on continuing to improve the program. Coach Leipold understands that the program needs the support of the entire campus community, and that includes the Royal Purple, to be successful. I know we can put this unfortunate situation behind us."

According to a story in the Royal Purple, the campus newspaper, Leipold took the action after becoming angry over an editorial titled, "Spoiled athletes need reality check."

Leipold then initially decided that no one from the student-run newspaper could call anyone associated with the football program unless he approved. And he said coaches or players would not be allowed to answer questions from student reporters during the 2009 season.

"The door is shut," Leipold said Wednesday. "Go cover soccer. I have (head coach) Greg Henschel's number. I'm sure that will be fun."

Now Leipold has backed off.

Last December, Leipold's Warhawks, a perennial national football power, were in the NCAA Division 3 national football championship game, but lost to Mount Union, 31-26.

Leipold's record over two seasons is 27-3.

In the editorial, Daly wrote about an incident he said he witnessed on campus in which three football players attempted to work out, independent of their team, without handing over their student IDs. According to Daly, one athlete cooperated, another eventually did show his ID, and a third refused until police were called.

Leipold said the three athletes were disciplined for their actions. "The situation was handled within the program and apologies were made," Leipold wrote in an earlier e-mail to the newspaper.