‘Why now?’ Parents question UMBC AD’s delayed outreach amid lacrosse, softball turmoil
The news that UMBC athletic director Tiffany D. Tucker plans to attend a tailgate before the men’s lacrosse home game against Bryant on Saturday was welcomed by some parents eager to hear from her for the first time since coach Ryan Moran was placed on administrative leave more than six months ago. But those same parents questioned the motivation.
“Why now? ” one parent said. “As far as we’re concerned, that outreach should have occurred in October.
” Said another parent: “Communication is important. A good leader and somebody with good social and communication skills could probably figure out a way to communicate with parents of a team that hasn’t had a coach for almost a year now. ” The parents spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns that their children might face reprisals.
Separate incidents during the current academic calendar that have roiled the Retrievers’ men’s lacrosse and women’s softball teams have cast the university’s athletic department in an unfavorable light . And criticism from parents has centered on Tucker, who began her tenure as the school’s sixth athletic director when she agreed to a four-year contract that began Aug. 16, 2024, and ends Aug.
15, 2028. “When the softball thing came out, it was like, ‘Oh, my God, another thing? ’” a lacrosse parent said.
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