Concord Community Schools in Elkhart, Ind., is defending the procedure used to hire an athletics director with a checkered past as an NCAA Division I strength coach.
As reported by ABC affiliate WBND in South Bend, the district hired Rick Court as athletics director, starting July 1. His most recent job was at Greenville High School, northeast of Grand Rapids, Mich., where he was the strength and performance coordinator.
Prior to that, Court spent time at the University of Maryland as a strength and conditioning coach in the football program. He resigned from that position in August 2018, after an investigation by the former university president found him to be verbally abusive to players, WBND's Leo Goldman reported.
The investigation detailed alleged situations involving Court throwing weights, food and a trash can that had vomit in it. Concord Community Schools administrators declined an on-camera interview with WBND Wednesday but provided a list of references they spoke with before hiring Court.
They include a former student-athlete, an athletics administrator overseeing football operations, as well as the head football coach at Maryland during Court's time with the Terrapins.
Concord schools also released a statement to WBND saying in part: "We also contacted administrators and coaches at Greenville public schools, who reported that Mr. Court has done an outstanding job during his time in Michigan and described him as a positive influence on student-athletes, with one reference characterizing him as a 'life changer' for students."
