Clouds Linger at Ball State

Coach Hired Amid Claims of Racism, NCAA Violations

MUNCIE, Ind., Aug. 8 -- Amid applause from dozens of red-and-white-clad partisans in attendance, Ball State University formally introduced a new men's basketball head coach Wednesday, an announcement that turned the page on the ill-fated 15-month tenure of Ronny Thompson, who abruptly resigned from the position almost one month ago.

"There is a sense of relief that it is over," said Mark Thurston, a prominent booster who also played for Ball State more than 25 years ago. "The 15-month nightmare has ended."

Although Billy Taylor takes over the coaching duties after five seasons at Lehigh, Thompson's imprint on this mid-level program remains. University police are investigating the source of racially charged notes that were found under the office doors of basketball coaches, and the school is investigating possible NCAA infractions that might have occurred under Thompson's watch.

There also remain questions why Thompson, the son of Hall of Fame Coach John Thompson and brother of current Georgetown Coach John Thompson III, resigned after only one season despite public support from Athletic Director Tom Collins and university president Jo Ann Gora, both of whom said he otherwise would still be the coach.

Gora described Thompson's first season as a head coach at any level as an "overwhelming experience" for Thompson. Those in and around the athletic program paint a picture of a 38-year-old coach who was disconnected from the community from the start.

"There was such a wall that he put up; until you got past that, you couldn't appreciate what type of person he was," said Steve Kern, a prominent Ball State booster. "Once he let me in, I found him to be an extremely pleasant guy. I'm one of the rare people who has some good to say about him."

Thompson could not be reached to comment. No one answered the door of the Yorktown, Ind., home believed to belong to Thompson. A real estate agent's sign was planted on the lawn, the family's name was not on the mailbox, and the grass was overgrown.

When told that boosters said Thompson was not involved in the community, Matthew Keiser, a Washington-based attorney representing Thompson, said: "That is a complete distortion of the facts. This is just another attempt by the university, after Ronny has left, to cover up the fact that he was subject to a racially hostile environment. The truth is Ronny reached out to the community, alumni and fans. Ronny attended many social functions with his wife. He even went so far as to have his brother and mom come out for an event."

What compounded Thompson's challenges was that Ball State suffered through a 9-22 season, the most losses in program history. Home attendance at Worthen Arena dipped to just more than 4,000 fans per game.

In the spring, an internal investigation found that Thompson and assistants had committed secondary violations of NCAA rules by attending offseason workouts for the second consecutive year and then lying about their involvement this May. In late June, notes with racial slurs that also included references to "cheaters" and "liars" were found under the doors of basketball coaches' offices. Keiser has said that Thompson's resignation letter cited a "racially hostile work environment," a claim school officials are examining.

Taylor, who is African American, said he had concerns about the coaching position because of Thompson's claims about the racial climate. But Taylor said those concerns were eased after consulting school officials and a handful of coaches who had experience either at Ball State or in Indiana. Taylor said he did not speak to Thompson.

"In my assessment of it, they were open and honest with me about that," Taylor said. "That really helped me, and I communicated that back with my wife. Having two small children, I wanted to make sure I was bringing my family into an atmosphere that would welcome and support us."