Connors State is set to play its first college basketball game without Ethan Dietz on Monday. The Cowboys will also be without head coach Bill Muse and two other unnamed assistant coaches.
They will be coached by women’s basketball head coach Jaylen Thompson for the rest of the season.
This unusual college basketball coaching staff shakeup comes after the tragic death of Dietz. It is the first step in holding Muse and his staff accountable for their concerning history of neglect.
Ethan Dietz died after a head injury.
As of this writing, the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet released its official report on the death of Ethan Dietz. The official cause of death remains unknown.
However, the sophomore forward passed away in the hospital just a few days after he was rushed to the ER with a head injury.
Dietz took a blow to the head during a college basketball game at Grayson College on Nov. 22. He showed immediate signs of discomfort and had to be helped off of the court by one of his teammates, but the coaching staff allowed him to check back into the game after just two minutes on the bench.
It was abundantly clear that Dietz was dazed and confused. Muse allowed him to keep playing until he took himself out of the game with approximately 12 minutes left in the second half.
At that point, Dietz went and sat by himself on the bench with a towel over his head. The 20-year-old was rushed to the hospital upon the team’s return to campus and passed away three days later.
To make matters worse, Bill Muse (who also serves as the athletic director at Connors State) has a history of neglect when it comes to head injuries. Nov. 22 was not the first time one of his players was allowed to compete despite clear signs of a concussion. It has happened before.
Connors State puts its college basketball coach on leave.
The school administration decided not to continue its college basketball season in the immediate wake of Ethan Dietz’s death. The Cowboys did not play their five scheduled games from Nov. 26 through Dec. 8, when students went home for the holiday break.
They will return to the court at home on Monday against Redlands Community College.
Muse and two assistant coaches will not be with them. Connors State placed them on leave.
“Connors State College men’s basketball coach and athletic director Bill Muse will be taking a break from his coaching and athletic director duties for the rest of the season for personal reasons, effective immediately. Two of the other assistant coaches will also take personal leave.
“CSC women’s basketball coach Jaylen Thompson will assume coaching duties for the remainder of the men’s basketball season. We remain committed to supporting our student-athletes during this time and will provide updates in the near future.”
I would imagine the decision not to fire these coaches, yet, stems from the aforementioned lack of clarity. It would be hard to fire a coach and athletic director for cause if the investigation into Dietz’s death is not yet complete. Thus, they will be away from the program until the official report is released. Should it confirm what we already know, they should not be allowed back.