The Observer, November 30, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 12
Rahn steps down as men's and women's tennis coach
click to enlarge
Tennis coach Nancy Rahn resigned two weeks ago, officially ending her 16-year tenure as Case's men's and women's coach. Rahn, recently the target of dislike by the majority of her players, resigned in the midst of a controversy which involved a boycott of her by last years' tennis squad. Rahn cited physical limitations as the reason for her departure.
While the athletic department received her letter of resignation two weeks ago, athletic director Dr. Dave Diles says that the two had been speaking about her resignation throughout the fall. "Coach Rahn had shoulder surgery earlier in the year," said Diles. "We had spoke on and off during her rehab and recovery." According to her letter of resignation, the seriousness of the surgery and rehab are what ultimately caused Rahn to decide to end her career at Case. Diles says that there was no mention in the letter of any other issues that influenced her decision, including the team's sentiments towards her.
Dating back to last year, the team signed a letter to then-interim president Gregory Eastwood demanding that Rahn be fired for lack of competency, among other reasons. In addition, they researched the resume that was posted on the Case athletics website and found several discrepancies as to her qualifications. The resume was later changed by the department ,and the allegations were brushed off as a grammatical oversight. The department held meetings with both the men's and women's teams to address their issues, but a solution was never reached, and all 24 players vowed not to participate until Rahn had left the program. All but one team member, sophomore Mike Peterson, held true to that statement, not participating in the fall season.
The team, former and current, have since been contacted by the athletic department and have met with Diles. "In our meeting I just encouraged everyone to participate," said Diles. "Many of the former players have shown interest in returning to the team." As part of the tennis programs' revamp, Diles has constructed a team leadership council that will act as a voice for the players.
As for the coaching situation, men's soccer coach Dan Palmer and football coach Greg Debeljak will take over as the women's and men's coaches, respectively. Both have prior experience in coaching tennis. The athletic department will also hire another assistant coach from one of the local club teams to help with the players' "technical training," according to Diles. In fact, many members of the department will lend a hand in the tennis teams' revitalization. Coach Karen Farrell and Pat Kennedy will assist the team with administrative duties, while Diles himself will be in charge of recruiting for next year's squad.
While the fall season is over, the Spartans will look for a much improved spring. Since both squads lost all their matches this semester, the only place to go is up. Look for the teams to make their debuts in late February. Hopefully, Debeljak and Palmer can translate their winning ways from the field to the court.
