While the termination of the tennis and golf teams put many student-athletes in dismay, the action also prompted the loss of head coaching positions for coaches Suzanne Abel, tennis, and Sam Hargraves, golf.
Though the program discontinuations were unforeseen, they have sent coaches Hargraves and Abel back to the positions they occupied when they first arrived at Hillsdale.
Abel said she “will continue to be the house director for Benzing Dorm which has always been my initial job and first responsibility for the college.”
Abel has been a house director for Hillsdale College for approximately 18 years: she was first placed at Olds Residence for 16 years and now in her second year at Benzing Residence .
“Tennis was only a part time position, so there is no significant change for me at this time,” she added.
Similarly, Hargraves came to Hillsdale at the opportunity to be an assistant men's basketball coach. This year will be Hargraves' fifth year in his assistant coaching position.
“Basketball was the majority of my salary and from that aspect [my job] won't change a lot,” Hargraves said. “I still have a full-time coaching postion.”
As far as both coaches know, none of the students from their rosters are transferring.
“The team will not be discontinued
until the fall of '05, so the team will still have their ‘05 spring season,” Abel said. “Because of this, the players may put off a decision about what they are going to do until May.”
Freshman Kristen Tomasic said that none of the women's tennis team players plan on transferring as of yet.
“There's always a chance that the tennis team may come back,” she said.
Tomasic said that for the team's spring season they are going to try hard and go out with a bang.
“If we'd had another year, I think we'd really impress some people at the school,” Tomasic said.
Hargraves also said no players from the golf team are going to transfer at this point.
“They have a lot of thinking to do, and talking with their families about this subject before any final decisions will be made,” he said.
Junior Rob Schlitts said that since he has one year left until he graduates he will probably remain at Hillsdale.
“Since [the college] is still giving us our scholarships, it's making it hard to decide [about transferring],” Schlitts said.
The future of Hillsdale athletics is uncertain: with tensions running high in the wake of the recent program cuts, the college now has the blemish of six athletic programs that have been discontinued in the past two and a half years.