Oregon club baseball coach Brad Ficek resigned Monday following a disagreement with University administrators about whether a former team member with a criminal record should be allowed to help the team.
Ficek said officials lied to him about whether former player Travis Chock would be allowed to help coach, but EMU administrators say Ficek initially misunderstood their position that Chock is banned from all team activities.
“I’m resigning because I feel that I’ve been mistreated and abused in this situation,” said Ficek, who played on the team for three years before becoming coach in 2004-05. “I don’t appreciate the way my name has been thrown around and slandered.”
Ficek’s resignation stems from an incident last spring involving Chock, who pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted theft last spring. Chock and teammate Peter Phillips were caught trying to steal Oregon memorabilia being stored in the University facility at the former Joe Romania car dealership that housed the team’s batting cages.
After the incident, the team was put on a one-year probation. In order to regain use of the cages, Ficek agreed to sign a contract written by the EMU administration that spelled out rules for how the team could use the batting facility, he said.
EMU officials oversee the Club Sports program.
The rules mandate that Ficek remove a lock on his door and a pingpong table from the facility, he said.
Soon after he signed the contract, Ficek said, he was asked to sign a second one with a clause stating that Chock would be banned from involvement with the team.
Ficek wanted Chock, who had served 40 hours of community service and written a statement apologizing to the EMU administration, to return as a volunteer coach.
Ficek met with Gregg Lobisser, the Director of Student Activities for the EMU, who told Ficek that Chock wasn’t banned from being on University property and that volunteering as a coach would be fine, Ficek said.
Ficek said he asked Lobisser whether Chock could help at home games, which Lobisser said he didn’t have any control over because the games are held at Civic Stadium.
“He agreed to it and shook our hands, and the next day (Director of Club Sports Sandy Vaughn) found out about it and got very angry about it, I assume,” Ficek said.
The following day, Ficek said, administrators told the team that miscommunication had occurred and that Chock’s banishment was still intact.
“There was a misunderstanding of what I was trying to say,” Lobisser told the Emerald Friday.
At a second meeting, Lobisser said, he reiterated what he had told Ficek at the first meeting – Chock may not have any involvement with the team.
Ficek said he was tired of being manipulated by the Club Sports office and the EMU administration.
“I understand if they want to say Travis can’t be involved, but I don’t understand why they make us jump through all of these hoops and then lie to us,” Ficek said.
Vaughn, Lobisser’s subordinate, said Club Sports never lied to Ficek.
“A lack of clear communication does not mean someone is being lied to,” she said. “I think there is a big difference between an honest miscommunication and clarification of intent. There’s a difference between that and an intent to deceive and lie to somebody.”
Chock said he is “not happy with the result or process, but I don’t blame anybody but myself.”
In Ficek’s absence, bench coach Kenny Swartwout will take over as head coach. Swartwout played on the team from 2001-03.
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