This has been a difficult time for the university community, and particularly for the woman who brought this to my attention.ÌýWhen she reached out to me, my first concern—which I shared with her—was for her safety. I immediately reported to the athletic director for direction. All of us involved have learned that we have additional reporting responsibilities, and we will follow those procedures in the future. I had never been in a situation where one of my coaches was accused of abusing a spouse or partner. But, as the regents and President Benson recognized, I never acted in bad faith.
In the football program, I stress to our student-athletes and our coaching staff the importance of values, integrity and accountability. I accept the actions announced today by President Benson.Ìý
I am fully committed to the changes the university will implement. I have always had tremendous compassion for those who have been affected by domestic abuse. I am personally invested in being part of the solution and want to be a voice for those who have been victims. Therefore, I will donate $100,000 to addressing domestic violence in our community;Ìý $50,000 of those funds will go to programs that support members of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ community who have been victims of domestic and dating violence. In addition, to help families who have been victims of domestic abuse I will support organizations that shelter victims and their families. I will be donating the remaining $50,000 to Gateway Domestic Violence Services. This is just the beginning of my ongoing involvement and support of these very important programs.Ìý
As I have said previously, I can assure the campus community, all Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ fans and all of our student athletes and their families, that I personally will continue to build the rise of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ football on a bedrock set of values: decency, honor, excellence—with respect for women and all people being chief among them.
Mike MacIntyre,
Head Coach, University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ