According to reports, the University of Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel has named Brandon Naurato as their interim head hockey coach for the 2022-23 season.
From Wolverines Wire:
“We are fortunate to have someone of Brandon Naurato’s caliber to lead our ice hockey team for the upcoming year,” said Manuel. “I had conversations with many individuals who care greatly about this program and appreciate the insight they shared. Brandon will do a great job leading the program, and I look forward to our student-athletes and staff benefiting from his leadership.”
“I am honored to lead my alma mater and will give everything I have to what is the most storied program in college hockey,” said Naurato. “I want to thank Warde Manuel and our student-athletes for their trust and look forward to working positively with our talented coaching and support staff.”
#Michigan announces it's hired former Wolverines player Brandon Naurato, who was an assistant with the hockey program last year and has NHL ties, to be the interim coach this year. https://t.co/m25FA3yR9q
— Isaiah Hole (@isaiahhole) August 7, 2022
Previous Report:
It’s official. According to a report from John U. Bacon, the University of Michigan has terminated hockey coach Mel Pearson‘s employment.
It is official:
The University of Michigan has terminated hockey coach Mel Pearson’s employment.— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) August 5, 2022
Report raises concerns about coach Mel Pearson, ‘culture and operation’ of Michigan hockey
From The Wolverine:
Michigan hockey coach Mel Pearson will not be extended and has been let go effective immediately, sources have informed TheWolverine.com. Pearson’s contract expired in April, and allegations that surfaced in the months prior proved to be his undoing.
Specifically, Pearson was accused of telling players to provide false information on COVID contact-tracing forms, of misleading recruits about how much scholarship money they would receive, and of allegedly calling one player a “Jew.”
Mel Pearson has reportedly been fired following an investigation.
Pearson, who had been the Wolverines’ head hockey coach since 2017, was accused of keeping employees who had “contemporaneous knowledge of sexual conduct committed by former University physician Dr. Robert Anderson.” He was also accused of mistreating women in the Michigan hockey program and violating the university’s COVID-19 protocols, along with “retaliation against unfair treatment of student-athletes.”
From Detroit News:
The report concludes that “multiple instances” have been identified in which “team leadership acted unprofessionally — especially in interactions with female staff members and in treatment of student athletes” but that Pearson did not directly violate Michigan’s policy on sexual and gender-based misconduct, saying, “we do have concerns about the culture and operation of the men’s hockey program.”
In the report, it is stated multiple times that Pearson’s recollection of events were not credible.
Nation, do you think Michigan made the right decision to fire Mel Pearson?
