Athletes share anonymous allegations against UIS golf coach | Report

University of Illinois Springfield golf coach Michael Leotta was singled out for allegedly harassing and abusing players in a story published by 2aDays.com on Tuesday.

Based on accounts from anonymous athletes, the report alleges a variety of incidents that ranged from discrimination against foreign athletes and reckless driving.

Leotta reportedly prohibited foreign students from speaking their first language during team activities and watched Netflix on a mobile device while driving the team van.

Other accounts of mistreatment were alleged in the story.

“As an institution, we take comments regarding student-athlete welfare seriously and have several mechanisms in place to get feedback directly from student-athletes,” UIS said in an emailed statement to The State Journal-Register.

“Ensuring the well-being and safety of our student-athletes has been and will continue to be our utmost priority. As concerns are brought forth, we have processes in place to investigate and address them. While we cannot comment specifically on personnel issues, we want to make it clear that we are dedicated to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community.”

In May, Mike Hermann was announced as the school’s new athletic director after former AD Laura Liesman resigned in November.

Leotta took over the UIS men’s and women’s golf teams in 2021 after previously serving as an assistant from 2013-16. He became the head coach at Wittenberg University in Ohio before returning to UIS.

In 2023, the UIS women’s golf team won its first Great Lakes Valley Conference title.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: UIS golf coach accused of discrimination, reckless driving | Report