The University of San Diego appears to have put itself in a very awkward spot regarding football coach Dale Lindsey.
On Tuesday, the university issued a statement indicating that Lindsey has decided to retire from coaching. The statement did not include a quote from Lindsey, with the only comment coming from athletic director Bill McGillis that praised Lindsey’s accomplishments and leadership.
That statement did not reflect the story Lindsey told Don Norcross of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“I did not f—ing retire,” Lindsey said. “I was shown the door and would like to coach. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”
McGillis was evasive when asked by the Union-Tribune if the coach had retired, saying only that “we look forward in the future to honoring him and celebrating a remarkable legacy.”
This sure sounds like a big screw-up on San Diego’s part. The fact that the athletic director is unwilling to go on the record backing his initial statement would certainly seem to indicate that Lindsey is the one telling the truth here.
Recently, there were some concerns about miscommunication when one legendary coach retired, but it wound up looking nothing like this. San Diego has a mess on its hands.
