What is the WORLD is going on at Valpo and in particular, athletics?? Meaggan Pettipiece, the softball coach who was hired very late last year, has just resigned. She was on the Coaches Show just a few days ago. This, after the Charles Small shocker. What a mess. Quote "Valpo athletics will have no further comment on this matter"
Um. She was Booked at PC Jail on March 28th. Misdemeanor theft. Hence why no comment
OMG.
Shoplifting??? Driving away from a gas pump w/o paying??? Stealing Bradly signs??? (Sorry about this. I forgot to take my medication today).
I mean... as soon as you get booked as a public figure, your career is pretty much over.
OMG.
@vu72 Not the answer you were expecting I guess. Probably going to be a presser sometime this week. Oh well.
@rezynezy To say that I'm in shock is an understatement at best. When was the Valpo Athletic department in such a state with its reputation flagging in the wind. The Bowling Coach, The Softball Coach, and the AD himself, leaving under a cloud of mystery. Troubling, to be sure.
Geez, that is unfortunate. She had real potential to do something here with her first real recruiting class arriving this season, and prior success at Akron and other programs. It was just not paying for gas??
This is where I wish we had an unaffiliated local reporter to start asking questions about the real state of the department, because from the outside looking in it's a complete dumpster fire. PO does fantastic work at The Victory Bell (and maybe he's got something in the works on all this) but the fact that Small hasn't (yet) surfaced elsewhere tells me there's a much deeper story behind all this, and now the arrest of a coach paints a picture of a department in complete disarray.
I know those that successfully led the "Change The Mascot" charge have begun pushing for Valpo to leave DI athletics due to the financial issues, this does nothing but give them ammo.
@valpotx I doubt it wasn't paying for gas. Not sure how you would do that when you have to pre-pay or use a credit card. My guess is some sort of shop lifting. So sad for a promising coach. Hope she lands on her feet somewhere.
This is where I wish we had an unaffiliated local reporter to start asking questions about the real state of the department, because from the outside looking in it's a complete dumpster fire. PO does fantastic work at The Victory Bell (and maybe he's got something in the works on all this) but the fact that Small hasn't (yet) surfaced elsewhere tells me there's a much deeper story behind all this, and now the arrest of a coach paints a picture of a department in complete disarray.
I know those that successfully led the "Change The Mascot" charge have begun pushing for Valpo to leave DI athletics due to the financial issues, this does nothing but give them ammo.
I have not heard of many people claiming that VU should leave D1, but I think there is nothing we really can do until official statements from the University come out as to what is going on. PR department needs time to draft formal letters and speeches. As of yet there has been no actual articles written as to what happened with the coach. The screenshot I provided was on the PC Jail bookings inventory. I expect the school to most likely never release comments unless someone blows a whistle.
I doubt you will get much info on something like this. It seems pretty cut and dried. She got arrested and was probably either given the option to resign or did it herself and the university will probably not say anything past "no comment" or "they made choices that didn't align with our values" Not really much else to say honestly.
The academics that are pushing for Valpo to move D-2 in athletics, are basically asking for the university to lose any type of national relevance and would soon go under. I know that this is an area often debated between some professors and how they view athletic staff against a university's mission, but athletics at the D-1 level is much more important for a school such as Valpo, than those folks would care to admit.
@valpotx not to mention we are in one of the strongest conferences at the mid major level. The valley gives VU a lot of notoriety regardless of success
