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Others should follow our lead
Communication is key.

In any job in any industry, communication is vital to the success of a company or organization.

Through Frog Camp and leadership classes, TCU makes students believe in the power of communication. So when the athletic department announced there were NCAA violations within the men’s basketball program, it was somewhat shocking to learn that the problems came down to one simple flaw: a lack of communication.

The “isolated incidences by one coach without my knowledge,” as head men’s basketball coach Neil Dougherty refers to them, led to the suspension of one player and the resignation of an assistant coach. If there had been better communication and had Coach Dougherty known what was going on, the violations never would have occurred.

In college athletics, every sport operates under the guidance and control of the athletic office, and the athletic office operates under the watchful eye of the NCAA. It is important that a lack of communication within the school not translate into a lack of communication with the NCAA.

TCU acted with great poise and class in dealing with the violations. Rather than avoid communication with the NCAA and put the careers of student athletes and coaches at risk, the athletic office accepted responsibility, dealt with the problem and increased its communication.

By reporting the violations to the NCAA, along with a plan of action on how to avoid such problems, TCU not only solved the problem but exceeded the standards set by other athletic programs.

TCU’s actions should be an example for other schools on how to handle violations. The school discovered, acknowledged and remedied the violations without giving the NCAA the opportunity to bring down an iron fist, proving once again that a little communication can go a long way.