EWU reserved in reaction to athletic director’s firing

Reaction was subdued a day after Eastern Washington University’s sudden dismissal of athletic director Darren Hamilton after just seven months on the job.

“Situations like these are difficult for the university, for the department and Dr. Hamilton,” associate athletic director Mike Allen said. “We all just need to move on from here.”

First-year president Rodolfo Arevalo would make no comment beyond a short statement released by the university Friday morning.

“After long discussions with our athletic director this week, we have agreed to terminate his contract and make a change in that position,” Arevalo said. “I will very soon name an interim athletic director and begin a search for a new A.D. as soon as possible.”

University spokesman Dave Meany said that the allegations of sexual harassment “had absolutely no bearing” on the decision to end the contract, and that Arevalo and Hamilton had arrived at the decision together.

In comments to The Spokesman-Review on Thursday, Hamilton, who came to Eastern from Chicago State, said, “We made a mutual agreement that I would resign from Eastern. It just wasn’t a good fit.”

He also said he cooperated with the investigation into the sexual harassment charges and they were not substantiated. According to sources, however, the second investigation, which, like the first, emanated from alleged misbehavior at the athletic department Christmas party at Hamilton’s South Hill home, was not concluded at the time of the dismissal.

Eagles women’s basketball coach Wendy Schuller, who was on the search committee that recommended hiring Hamilton, said, “To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what happened. He’s not what we expected … and Eastern is not what he expected. Sometimes when things aren’t what you expected your enthusiasm can wane.”

It was Hamilton’s enthusiasm that had Eastern personnel excited about his arrival on Sept. 1.

“Every time we talked to him, every interview, he was so high energy,” Schuller said on Aug. 1 when Hamilton was introduced at a press conference. “I love his level of enthusiasm. … I was thinking of a quote: ‘Nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm.’ He’s got it. … I also really liked his academic background.”

After Hamilton’s contract, which includes a nine-month buyout of his $110,000 salary, was terminated, football coach Paul Wulff said, “I think in the whole interview process, everyone on campus who met him when he came for his interview, liked his energy, liked his passion, thought that was the right choice. It didn’t turn out that way. It’s a new day and we need to move forward.”

Schuller was surprised a change was made.

“I had been so engrossed in our season, I was in a way, out of the loop,” she said. “But you could sense something, (but) I didn’t see it coming. It’s a situation where you turn the page and all parties move on.”

She said coaches need an athletic director to provide leadership and guidance, much the same way a coach does the same for players.

She also wanted to make it clear what she knew about the head coaches meeting with the president on Tuesday morning.

“The coaches did not go to the president,” Schuller said. “I received an e-mail that said the president wanted to meet with the coaches. The president wanted to visit with us and see what was going on. It was also my impression Darren knew about the meeting.”

Associate athletic director Pam Parks, who could not be reached for comment, was the interim athletic director when Scott Barnes left for the University of Washington in the summer of 2005. Allen, who previously worked at EWU, returned to assist Parks.

“I think what we all need to get is get somebody in place to handle the duties and let emotions die down,” Wulff said. “Then we need to make the best decision for the university. Dr. Arevalo wants to move as quickly as possible but at the same time do due diligence.”