Dear Argonaut:
Editor’s Note: This letter was also sent to President Scott Green and Athletic Director Terry Gawlik
As former UI track and field student –athletes and members of the Coach Keller Reunion Planning Committee, we wish to express our support for the UI volleyball team members. We all know the stress and rigors of being student athletes are difficult already, but to add to that, the situation they are dealing with their coach must make it horrible.
We want to lend our support, love and prayers to these brave women under these very stressful circumstances. We stand firmly with them as they seek your help in resolving this issue in a positive way that will restore the volleyball program and allow these student –athletes to safely and proudly practice and compete as strong Vandals.
Our coach, Mike Keller, took pride in our performances, but, most importantly, we graduated. We loved our coach (although in day-to-day workouts, we didn’t necessarily like him every minute) and respected him. Please restore this to the women on the Vandal volleyball team.
Thank you,
Members of the Coach Keller Reunion Planning Committee:
- Sam Koduah, Chair (1985, 1987)
- Julie Helbling Taylor (1986)
- Scott Knoblich (1977)
- Dayo Onanubosi (1990, 1993)
- Dave Smith (1986)
- Maureen Taylor Regan, Volleyball (1976)
- Marvin Wadlow, Jr. (1985)
- Everton Wanliss (1987)
- Lee Gordon, WSU graduate
Plus, many additional UI track and field athletes from the Coach Keller era expressed their support for this letter and for the UI volleyball team members. Some of them are listed below:
- Dan O’Brien (Alum 1989), 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist, Decathlon Vandal Hall of Fame Namesake, UI Outdoor Track & Field Facility
- Chris Stokes (1987) Original member of Jamaica’s first bobsled team
- Rob Simpson (1989)
- Tom Erickson (1988)
- Kurt Schneiter (1988)
- Bernardo Barrios (1992)
- Mike Rousseau (1986, 1988)