Prior to coming to UMBC, Donovan hadserved as the head womens swimming coach at Long Island University since the fall of 2016. "We are encouraged by the past two days. If that continued at UMBC, Cradock learned from the best. The UMBC Police chief said the department looked into an anonymous 2015 complaint against Cradock about a hidden camera in a locker, but could not find any truth to it. Chief Bruce Perry said that was the only criminal complaint or investigation by his department related to Cradock. I have to live with this really dark secret thats the undertone of my four years. A year ago, the Sharks also won the overall Team Sportsmanship Award as voted upon by their peers in the NEC. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Chad G. Cradock please visit our,

On Sunday, March 7, 2021, Chad G. Cradock of Odenton passed away. The report acknowledged that at least two swimmers alleged Cradock discouraged them from making reports to the university and found Cradock violated his no-contact order by texting some swimmers. One swimmer told investigators that if and when a swimmer made it known they didnt like Cradocks behavior, he would pretend like you were not there and would not coach you, the report said. This brought us even closer because you gave me the opportunity to coach the swim camp. It isnt fake news. Sad for the victims and hope they get the help they need to move forward. The UMBC mens and womens swimming and diving programs have won plenty in their own righteven if most people dont realize it. Students described a lack of attention at practices, less sympathetic treatment for injuries and different enforcement of team rules, including consequences for drinking. Dinah Winnick, a UMBC spokeswoman, said in an email the school is cooperating with the Justice Department investigation. The Retriever swimming and diving teams have dominated America East Conference competition since joining the league in 2003. If we were in Australia, swimming would be the number one. Insane to me as a fellow America East swammer the UMBC swimmers always seemed to love their coach. Riser, Dom I mean, universities have entire bureaucracies committed just to investigating things like this. The firm found that Cradock engaged in sexual harassment and created a hostile environment during his time as coach, violating the universitys discrimination policy. Cradock, who was 47 at the time of his death, was the head coach of the swimming & diving team at UMBC for 19 seasons, having begun his tenure back in 2001. Cradock and his staff won a number of key coaching accolades cross 19 seasons, including the 2001-2002 Northeast Conference Womens Coach of the Year (01-02), ECAC Mens Coach of the Year (01-02, 02-03) and America East Mens Coaching Staff of the Year (03-04 and (04-05). But Cradocks leadership included misconduct, UMBCs outside investigators wrote in their 105-page final report. In my experience, had regulated swim bodies paid closer attention to complaints brought forward by athletes and parents, I suspect criminalRead more . Employees can access support through the Employee Assistance Program. the Matt Skalsky Outstanding Scholar-Athlete award as a senior. We offer all levels of training, from beginner diving lessons to summer prep to elite Junior Olympic training. So why did the swimmer feel powerless? Who knows whered I be if not for Chad. In particular, the men's team has a. UMBC also has a chance for two others to earn spots in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In his two seasons with the Huskies, he coached 37 All-Conference honorees, saw the team finish second at the American Athletic Conference Championships in 2015, and win both the 2015 and 2016 Copa Coqui Invitational in Puerto Rico. Cradock swam at UMBC from 1993 to 1997, lettering all four years and earning. If you were a real psychologist, you would identify yourself; moreover, a psychologist would not be making such ignorant remarks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Theres a logical fallacy happening here a lot in the comments. Have some compassion. Under his direction, the men's staff earned 2021-22 America East Coaching Staff of the Year. All rights reserved. Pavlou, Nicholas But every day, the swimmers and divers head to the pool anyway. By now, the story is well-known because it was the first time in the history of that tournament when a No. And those of you who say you are defending the truth. Gliese is a two-time captain at UMBC and the Danish national record holder in the 200-meter backstroke. The team may have been presented with this award but everyone here at UMBC deserves a portion of it as well". Great people can do questionable things, Horrific people can as well do life changing amazing things. Davenport, Jeff We are well-respected internationally. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County police department received a call from UMBC Athletics at 12:01 p.m. today saying a threat had been made against members of the athletic community. There are a lot of degenerates out there, and its disconcerting how many find their way into our sport. Coaching with Cradock now are Chris Gibeau 93, biological science; Nikola Trajkovic 18, financial economics; and Elyse Gibson-Clegg 06, sociology, along with diving coach Petar Trifonov, all of whom work to create an environment where the swimmers and divers feel at home and are comfortable throughout the daunting schedule swimming requires. Unfortunately a man that many had loved is gone. All rights reserved. Why? The UMBC mens and womens swimming and diving programs have won plenty in their own righteven if most people dont realize it. The UMBC Event Center and stadium complex closed today after a threat was directed at members of the athletics community. Wright won gold in 1 meter and 3 meter dives and was named Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet, while Cradock and his coaches were named the mens and womens Coaching Staff of the Year. Courtesy Chandler Swim & Dive. The publicity that follows the athletic success of some teams, well, thats for other sports. The firm has billed UMBC $328,992 since January 2021 for its services on this investigation, according to the school. Weigelt, Christopher Neale, Dani You along with these clowns passing judgement and making accusations without a single bit of publicly available evidence, is sickening. They knew who I was, and it was definitely really cool to know that after all these years, that I still hold some sort of presence thereI was still on the record booksso that sort of helped, he says with a laugh. Baldwin called the UMBC report incomplete., It appears to have been limited in scope by UMBC to only the last couple years, said Baldwin, of the firm Baldwin Seraina. Swim Coach 2716 Keith Puryear: Head Tennis Coach 1327 puryear@umbc.edu: Bobby Hoffman Assistant Coach 1327 retrievers@umbc.edu : David Bobb . His dedication to the sport earned Chad a scholarship on the University of Maryland Baltimore Countys mens team in which he competed as a long-distance freestyle swimmer. It was a moment in the sun on their own campus, one that doesnt happen often with this sport. Sometime later, he arranged a surprise meeting, forcing her to sit across from my abuser, she said. Super interested in those details. Chad Cradock, who left his position as the head coach of the UMBC swimming & diving team in December after 19 years, has died. Cradock swam at UMBC from 1993 to 1997, lettering all four years and earning the Matt Skalsky Outstanding Scholar-Athlete award as a senior. Nigro comes to Baltimore from. We do it because we love it, Cradock says. I dont think I can ever have a normal college experience.. Chad came to UMBC as a student athlete in 1993 and earned his undergraduate degree in psychology while swimming for the Retrievers. Employees can access support through the. I have to live with this really dark secret thats the undertone of my four years. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. I understand that there is anger surrounding this death. It all continues into Saturday, a fact the swimmers understand and accept. Read the whole article. He also broke the America East record in the 100 backstroke. UMBC Athletics' CORE values are: Growth, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork [] Moro is trying to represent Egypt there while senior mechanical engineering major and Meyerhoff Scholar. Chad can be friendly and warm while doing these horrible things. Nobody said that they were going to come to campus to commit a violent act, said Chief of Police Paul Dillon. Malone, Jackie UMBC was established upon the land of the Piscataway and Susquehannock peoples. Students told university officials that Chad Cradock inappropriately touched male swimmers, discriminated against female teammates and mishandled Title IX reports, putting students in dangerous situations, according to documents reviewed by The Baltimore Sun. Jyawook, Gabe Students told university officials that Cradock inappropriately touched male swimmers, discriminated against female members of the team and mishandled Title IX reports, according to the Baltimore Sun. He led it to numerous. At least two swimmers allege that he discouraged them from making reports to the university. He also ran into other former Retriever swimmers recently at an event that UMBC hosted in New York City at the One World Observatory. According to the report by the outside law firm, one swimmer alerted UMBC employees about inappropriate behavior in mid-2019. Men's Swimming and Diving. SwimSwam has provided a forum for discussion on a very important and timely subject. Recommend Chad's obituary to your friends. UMBC and the new AD Brian Barrio are at the root of the problem. That UMBC has remained silent, to me, suggests all sorts of things. And, all I read into UMBC is that it likely did not take care of its athletes OR its coach its winningest coach during a time when vulnerabilities are high. He became head coach in 2001, bringing with him a philosophy that emphasized the coaches working with the student-athletes and not dictating to them. Cradock, 46, became UMBC's second-ever swimming and diving head coach in 2001 after swimming for the school in the 1990s and then serving as an assistant coach. The report quotes one swimmer telling interviewers their reaction to the investigation was about time and another saying they couldnt name who Cradock touched because there were so many, adding, It became normal and it never should have been normalized.. Even Cradock understands the deal and shrugs it off. , all of whom work to create an environment where the swimmers and divers feel at home and are comfortable throughout the daunting schedule swimming requires. Former UMBC coach Chad Cradock has died, the team was told in a meeting on Sunday evening. Deal, Michael He was also the head coach of the Retriever Aquatic Club, where his children currently swim. Attorney Rignal Baldwin V represents five of the six swimmers named in the report as those whose complaints prompted the investigation. 20 athletes coming forward isnt fake news. A university investigation into University of Maryland, Baltimore Countys swim coach of nearly two decades began in late 2020 following several swimmers reports of misconduct. I understand that there is some energy to do something about it. Lashing out at those who disagree with you about Coach Cradocks legacy is not doing something about it. The only facts I am aware of are regarding his death are these: 1) Chad resigned abruptly in December after a leave of absence and UMBC supported this. How do you know there are 20 athletes involved? The basketball program and school received a deluge of publicity from all around the country after that. He was 47 years old. Skills such as teamwork, self-confidence, perseverance, tenacity, facing fears, as well as physical and mental strength are nurtured and cultivated while learning differentand more difficult dives at every level and cheering on teammates throughout the process. I am proud that he will take the reins at UMBC.. Donate Organizer and beneficiary Donna Helms Harrowing allegations against former University of Maryland - Baltimore County (UMBC) head swim coach Chad Cradock surfaced Monday following his sudden death in March 2021. . Over time, citizens of many more Indigenous nations have come to reside in this region. Comments unavailable on mobile. According to a. Even though they werent on the team when some of this misconduct occurred? The women's squad has captured four of the past seventitles, including a resounding victory in 2019. This is a year-round gig for the coaches, who often arrive on campus at 6 a.m. and stay until 7:30 p.m., with six to eight more hours on Saturday, plus other work on Sunday. They swept the America East championships this past winter, claiming the 31st and 32nd titles for the Retrievers26 of which have come since Chad Cradock 97, psychology, became the head swimming and diving coach in 2001. Several male swimmers also reported Cradocks hugs from behind while they were wearing only their Speedos, along with attempted kisses and unwanted touching of their stomachs or chests, the report said. When you walk into the pool area, you see all the banners, and you would think thats just decoration if you didnt see all the hard work we put in each and every day, Wright says. Winnick, UMBCs spokeswoman, declined to comment on the investigations duration or its shift from a Title IX policy investigation to one considering discrimination policy violations. Ever sit through criminal trials of swim coaches of your own children? Final. This award is proof of their hard work and we know that we have a lot of others to thank as well. Gassmann, Luke There are still people to this day in this comment section who are discounting the reports that were made. When a swimmer is goodreally goodthe sound of their stroke is smooth and quiet. Its a connection that goes far beyond the pennants and tailgating of other sports. I wonder why, if this account is true, there are only 5 current swimmers willing to speak against a coach that has been heavily involved in the lives of more than a thousand athletes over 20 years. Under Donovans lead, LIU womens swimming produced dozens of school records, and NEC and ECAC individual and relay championships in five seasons, but the most impressive has been the teams performance in the classroom. Coaches hold a great deal of power over swimmers, and the report found that the coach, created a hostile environment. The victims were at the losing end of a power imbalance. After the 2015-2016 season, Cradock was named the CCSA Coach of the Year, and after the 2017-2018 season Cradock and his staff were named Coaching Staff of the Year in both seasons.