Pokey Chatman Scandal Puts Spotlight on Homophobia in Recruiting

Kind of a disturbing story in the New York Post today about an issue I'd never really considered, though I should have. Pokey Chatman was forced to resign at LSU over an inappropriate sexual relationship with a player (and rightfully so), but there are women's basketball coaches out there who will use the situation to exploit homophobia in recruits and recruits' parents. From the New York Times:

"I think there are coaches who may try to use this against any female coaches who are not married and just make innuendo, to put fear in some players' minds or parents' minds," said Gail Goestenkors, the former Duke coach who moved this month to the University of Texas. "That happens sometimes now anyway. I think that will fuel the fire a little bit."

That's just evil. Nothing should surprise me when it comes to recruiting, but exploiting and reinforcing someone's ignorance and homophobia for personal gain ... that's maddening. It apparently happens, though.

When a coach takes this recruiting strategy, what they're doing is equating lesbianism with being a sexual predator. "This coach isn't married, therefore, she might be a lesbian, and if she's a lesbian, she'll probably try to get your daughter naked at every timeout, because that's what these lesbians do." Intolerable.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma says it can backfire.

"What if the kid you're recruiting is gay and you don't know it?" Auriemma said. "You bring the topic up and the kid says, 'I'm not playing for this guy; this guy's got problems.'

He added, "Coaches who do care about that stuff lose."

I hope that's true.