The Grand Valley State assistant football coach who caught headlines and raised eyebrows with his Hitler comment has resigned from his position.
According to The Republic, Morris Berger had just been named as the offensive coordinator at the school last week, but found himself in hot water for comments made during a Jan. 23 interview with school newspaper The Lanthorn.
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Berger had been asked to name three historical figures he’d like to have dinner with. One of his responses included Adolf Hitler, whom he went on to praise as “a great leader.”
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“It was obviously very sad and he had bad motives, but the way he was able to lead was second to none,” Berger told the student journalist. “How he rallied a group and a following, I want to know how he did that.”
In the wake of Berger’s comments, GVSU officials reportedly pressured The Lanthorn to pull them. Editor-in-chief Nick Moran told MLive.com that the student journalist initially complied, but Moran later reinstated Berger’s comments.
“When you’re spoken to by a school official as a student, the student part of student journalist kicks in first,” Moran told MLive.com.
“I was excited and proud to be at Grand Valley, and am disappointed that I will not get the opportunity to help these players in 2020,” Berger said in a statement announcing his resignation. “However, I do not want to be a distraction to these kids, this great university or Coach Mitchell as they begin preparations for the upcoming season.”
