University of Illinois-Springfield student-athletes have accused head women's golf coach Michael Leotta of severe misconduct, alleging former athletic director Laura Liesman was aware of the abuse and did not address it.
As reported by Minding the Campus, which cited recent interviews conducted by 2aDays, the players expressed concern over Leotta’s potential return, stating their reluctance to continue in the UIS program if he remains in his position. Liesman resigned at the end of November 2023. No reason was given for her resignation.
"From lashing out at players for asking questions to denying basic necessities during matches to singling out athletes for speaking another language and reckless driving with athletes in the vehicle — the accounts paint a harrowing picture of the coach’s conduct," Bella Nevin of 2aDays wrote.
The athletes, who have chosen to remain anonymous, described a range of disturbing incidents involving Leotta, from verbal abuse and discrimination towards international athletes to unsafe practices and neglect, according to Jessi Wynn of Minding the Campus.
"During a recent match, for example, the UIS women’s golf team endured 36 holes in the scorching sun without water for over nine and a half hours, as Leotta allegedly failed to provide any," Wynn wrote. "This incident led to a confrontation at a rest stop, where Leotta allegedly reacted angrily, threw napkins, and accused the team of lacking competitive drive. He reportedly targeted and verbally harassed two international athletes, accusing them of never taking responsibility. This event left many members of the team visibly shaken and in tears."
Another complaint involved Leotta driving the team van while watching Netflix on his phone and listening through headphones. Video evidence of this was presented to UIS human resources, but the only change in behavior seemed to be that Leotta began driving without the headphones.
According to Wynn, the team’s mental state has suffered, with one athlete taking a mental health redshirt due to anxiety allegedly caused by Leotta.
“Michael Leotta epitomizes everything a coach should not be. His treatment of players is consistently unfair and borderline abusive," one athlete told Nevin. "Worse yet, he regularly engages in unethical behavior, from breaking rules and then blaming everyone else for it. His inability to control his emotions is glaringly evident, with outbursts of anger and frustration in inappropriate settings. In addition to his emotional immaturity, he neglects his duties and decides when to do his job or not. His lack of commitment and professionalism begs the question of how someone so clearly unsuited to coaching continues to occupy such a position of power over young athletes.”
Interim athletic director and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jamarco Clark did not comment on the specific allegations.
"As an institution, we take comments regarding student-athlete welfare seriously and have several mechanisms in place to get feedback directly from student-athletes," Clark wrote in an email to 2aDays. "Ensuring the well-being and safety of our student-athletes has been and will continue to be our utmost priority. As concerns are brought forth, we have processes in place to investigate and address them."
