Student-athletes are speaking out after Stanford University men’s water polo coach, Brian Flacks, remains employed by the university despite two investigations into his coaching conduct. Flacks was first investigated in September 2024, but nothing was found to be outside the scope of Stanford athletics procedures. A new investigation was reopened in April, after players alleged Flacks retaliated against those who cooperated with the first investigation.
According to ESPN, student-athletes reported a team in turmoil and disarray. “Teammates who don’t know who to trust,” “drama affecting recruiting efforts,” and a culture of “isolation and psychological warfare,” were all phrases that student-athletes used to describe the team.
Student-athletes are speaking out after Stanford University men’s water polo coach, Brian Flacks, remains employed by the university despite two investigations into his coaching conduct. Flacks was first investigated in September 2024, but nothing was found to be outside the scope of Stanford athletics procedures. A new investigation was reopened in April, after players alleged Flacks retaliated against those who cooperated with the first investigation.
According to ESPN, student-athletes reported a team in turmoil and disarray. “Teammates who don’t know who to trust,” “drama affecting recruiting efforts,” and a culture of “isolation and psychological warfare,” were all phrases that student-athletes used to describe the team.
However, the team, alumni and parents are split on what to believe. Some are convinced that Flacks has created a toxic culture, but others call his coaching style intense or tough love.
Daniel Mnatsakanian told ESPN, “He is a coach who unconditionally cares for his players. He is an incredibly difficult coach to play for because he demands excellence, and he demands you to be the best. And I am eternally grateful for him."
But on the opposite side of the aisle, a student-athlete who wished to remain anonymous told ESPN, “Saying that Flacks is just a tough-love coach, that's complete bulls---. I've played for tough-love coaches; most of them are. I'm telling you, it was not tough love. That is just a complete mischaracterization of his coaching style. Tough love does not include mental games or any sort like that. ... [It] doesn't give you a free pass to mentally [mess] with kids."
Stanford hired outside counsel, Kate Weaver Patterson, to conduct both investigations into Flacks coaching style. After the first investigation, Patterson concluded Flacks had “no intent to create an unhealthy environment,” but she did claim “your intensity and drive can be reasonably perceived by players as overwhelming.” Conclusions from the April investigation have not been publicly released.
In the wake of the team turmoil and investigations, multiple student-athletes quit the team. Others reported anxiety, sleeplessness and stress-induced physical symptoms. Experts told ESPN that the difference between tough love and toxicity is a fine line. Coaches who are critical of performance and effort are using appropriate strategies, but coaches who belittle athletes as a person are not.
Student-athletes reported that the question at the front of their minds is whether Flacks will be the head coach next season.
