Chelsey Lucas, Grambling State’s former women’s volleyball coach, made headlines just three months after being hired because she cut the entire team.
Lucas, a 2007 Grambling alumnus, was a standout on the court for the Tigers, making her a recognized figure when she was named program director in February. By April, however, she had enraged athletes, parents, and alumni by removing all 19 players from the roster. Grambling State, whose administration initially supported Lucas’ conduct, fired her on Tuesday, citing an ongoing inquiry into her decision.
The school said in a statement, “The decision was made due to the determination of an internal investigation within the volleyball program.”
Under previous coach Demetria Keys-Johnson, who stepped down in December to assume another post at the university, Grambling State’s women’s volleyball team went 11-17 last season. Lucas was hired on February 14 after going 37-44 in three seasons at Arkansas Pine Bluff, including an 18-15 record last year.
According to various sources, Lucas’ relationship with Grambling State players was strained from the start, with players speculating that Lucas remained infuriated over an incident that occurred last season when Arkansas Pine Bluff played Grambling State.
Senior Sheila Borders said, “When we played them at home and we beat them, our school has like this chant, but at the end of the chant you say, like, the B-word. I guess she thought I was calling them B-words, but, like, the whole school says it. They say it at basketball games and football games. It’s nothing personal.”
Lucas reportedly called individual meetings on April 4 to advise the 12 scholarship players that she would not extend their scholarships for the following season. 7 walk-ons were notified their spots would not be renewed. Lucas reportedly gave four former scholarship players the chance to stay on the team as walk-ons, but all four declined.
Following those April meetings, athletes who had been kicked out of the program created a Change.org petition asking Lucas to resign and the school to reinstate their scholarships, which received over 3,700 signatures. Grambling State said in early May that it had recruited an outside agency to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against Lucas and the program.
During a program on “First Take” that same month, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith elaborated on the incident.
Lucas, a 2007 Grambling alumnus, was a standout on the court for the Tigers, making her a recognized figure when she was named program director in February. By April, however, she had enraged athletes, parents, and alumni by removing all 19 players from the roster. Grambling State, whose administration initially supported Lucas’ conduct, fired her on Tuesday, citing an ongoing inquiry into her decision.
The school said in a statement, “The decision was made due to the determination of an internal investigation within the volleyball program.”
Under previous coach Demetria Keys-Johnson, who stepped down in December to assume another post at the university, Grambling State’s women’s volleyball team went 11-17 last season. Lucas was hired on February 14 after going 37-44 in three seasons at Arkansas Pine Bluff, including an 18-15 record last year.
According to various sources, Lucas’ relationship with Grambling State players was strained from the start, with players speculating that Lucas remained infuriated over an incident that occurred last season when Arkansas Pine Bluff played Grambling State.
Senior Sheila Borders said, “When we played them at home and we beat them, our school has like this chant, but at the end of the chant you say, like, the B-word. I guess she thought I was calling them B-words, but, like, the whole school says it. They say it at basketball games and football games. It’s nothing personal.”
Lucas reportedly called individual meetings on April 4 to advise the 12 scholarship players that she would not extend their scholarships for the following season. 7 walk-ons were notified their spots would not be renewed. Lucas reportedly gave four former scholarship players the chance to stay on the team as walk-ons, but all four declined.
Following those April meetings, athletes who had been kicked out of the program created a Change.org petition asking Lucas to resign and the school to reinstate their scholarships, which received over 3,700 signatures. Grambling State said in early May that it had recruited an outside agency to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against Lucas and the program.
During a program on “First Take” that same month, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith elaborated on the incident.
