After eight months filled with upheaval, confusion and uncertainty regarding the Allen Community College cross country and track and field programs and its head coach Vince DeGrado, ACC President John Masterson said the school is ready for some closure.
Last Friday, Masterson confirmed to the Register the community college would not appeal the revised ruling by the National Junior College Athletic Association on the length of DeGrados suspension, thus accepting it to last through this cross country season and the 2019 indoor track and field season in addition to a probationary period lasting through the 2019-2020 academic year.
Vince has done everything the college has asked him to do, Masterson said. Weve been working at the national level to try and bring this to a close because we wanted to get this behind us and move on. (The NJCAA) has done some reconsidering and now we just want Vince to get back to doing what he does best, which is coaching those kids.
The revised ruling was handed down Sept. 28 after courts in Texas dismissed a misdemeanor assault charge on DeGrado stemming from an incident in March at the Indoor National Track and Field Championship in Lubbock where he shoved an opposing assistant coach to the ground twice in response to the coachs continued taunts of Allen Countys athletes and DeGrado.
Lubbock County courts dismissed the case on the grounds that justice could not be served through further proceedings in this matter. DeGrados mugshot and arrest report will soon be sealed and there will be no evidence of the incident on his record as he moves forward.
Due to the ruling, many expected the NJCAA would lift the original sanctions. And while Masterson said he was satisfied to let the court ruling put an end to the proceedings, the NJCAA decided reducing sanctions against DeGrado would be more appropriate. For us, it was wrapped up, Masterson said. But the national office has to take what they have and make their determinations on that and thats what they did so thats what weve got to live with.
ACC appealed the original sanctions. The appeal was denied. The college had the option to appeal again and possibly move into arbitration with the NJCAA, but declined to do so for reasons Masterson would not elaborate due to this being a personnel issue. When asked why the college didnt appeal a second time, Masterson said he felt that continuing the process would do more harm than good.
We dont feel like that would be productive, Masterson said. Even from a time standpoint, the amount of time that would elapse going through this process would eat up the rest of the cross country season anyway. So to go through all of that worry for such a short amount of time we really didnt feel like it would be worth it.
So now with the new sanctions left unchallenged, DeGrado and the Allen Community College track and field and cross country athletes are stuck with what could be called the best of a bad situation. The process itself is set up to be fair, Masterson said. But fair is in the eye of the beholder.
NEEDLESS to say, DeGrado hoped the college would appeal the reduced sanctions. The 23-time Region VI and national coach of the year recipient felt that he was prepared to fight these sanctions and win.
I had 27 different case studies showing that my sanctions were not consistent with sanctions levied in the past, DeGrado said. I had a trial pack ready just in case my charges in Texas werent dismissed. The administration will have to live with the decision. I knew what I wanted to do and I knew what I had to back me up.
Despite the frustration at the situation, DeGrado also ended up leaving himself out of the final decision and let Masterson, along with Athletics Director Doug Desmarteau, make the call. (Desmarteau) met with me and asked if I wanted to speak on my own behalf but I was just tired of fighting because I know what its done to my health, DeGrado said. I trusted that they would have the programs best interest in mind. So I took myself out of it and let them decide.
WITH the acceptance of the sanctions behind them, DeGrado and others remain curious as to why the NJCAA decided to reduce his sanctions instead of clear them entirely.
