Loyola coach Sheryl Swoopes under internal investigation
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Loyola head women’s basketball coach Sheryl Swoopes is under internal investigation after the majority of her players requested release from the program, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Ten of Loyola’s twelve returning players have either transferred or asked to be released from their scholarships. Five others reportedly transferred following the 2014–15 season. The Ramblers finished 14–16 last season, Swoopes’ third as head coach.
“Any time there are allegations of student-athlete mistreatment, it is more than concerning,” Jermaine Truax, Loyola's deputy athletic director, said in a statement. "The welfare of our student-athletes is paramount. Thus, the Loyola University Chicago Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has asked for an independent and comprehensive University investigation into the women's basketball program.”
The Loyola student newspaper reported that players expressed concerns about Swoopes’s involvement in their personal lives.
Swoopes, 45, was a four-time WNBA champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States. She was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this month.
