Last week my, comments on the firing of Steve Laidlaw were about the process , and I will state clearly again that I believe the review of Steve’s performance as varsity basketball coach was incredibly offensive on a common sense level. Now I will also emphatically state that for Steve, coaching was more than passion for and commitment to the game. It was a passion and commitment to his teams. It may not be his degree but teaching is in his DNA. Steve’s a teacher!
Comments on Facebook and statements printed in the Oxford Leader only reaffirm the obvious–Steve cares! Just recently, Tim Tebow, Heisman trophy winner, who led his team to a national championship, was asked to describe his coach. In response, he said, ‘Caring. Caring would be the first word that would come to mind. He cares more about their lives than their NFL career. He cares about helping them off the field more than helping on the field. I think the true measure of a coach is that they care about their players; they care about them like sons–not just players.? In a presentation on our local station, a master teacher was described as ‘somebody who comes prepared to teach every single day and to teach well, but that is only half. Equally important, and maybe more important, he comes everyday to send a message, ‘I care about you. I will do whatever it takes for you to be successful.?? This was a statement made by Dr. William Skilling; both Tebow and Skilling could have been describing Steve Laidlaw.
As a community, we should be asking a simple question. What should a leader have done when confronted with a choice between firing a coach who has demonstrated the very core values he holds and has insisted should be part of any hiring process and a recommendation from an Athletic Director whose review process is derelict?
Steve has said, ‘There’s no right way to do the wrong thing.? Now that one wrong thing has been done, another question which should be asked is what next wrong thing does the administration intend to do or is it to be left to the new head coach to do the wrong thing and to do it for them?

Walter Studinger, Oxford