Thursday, Detroit Mercy announced that they would be suspending the remainder of the women’s college basketball season after reports surfaced that the team’s head coach has inflicted “emotional, mental and physical abuse” upon the players.
AnnMarie Gilbert, who’s in her first year with Detroit is being accused of that abuse in a signed letter from the parents of each player on the team. The letter, in turn, was also supported by all 14 players after the parents took initial action since the players were afraid of “retaliation” from the coach who based her program on “fear” according to the Detroit News.
The parents of the entire Detroit Mercy women’s basketball roster have signed a letter to the university administration claiming new head coach AnnMarie Gilbert ran a program that inflicted “emotional, mental and physical abuse” on the players. The letter, dated Sunday and obtained by The News on Thursday, said the parents decided to take action because their daughters were worried about retaliation, claiming Gilbert created a program rooted in “fear.”
All 14 Detroit Mercy players supported the parents’ letter and the many claims of abuse, according to two players who both spoke on the condition that they remain anonymous out of fear of retribution. In meetings this week, a majority of players requested to play out the season without Gilbert as coach, but were told by university officials that was not “a viable option,” according to the two players.
Detroit Free Press
Gilbert, who was hired away from Division II Virginia Union where she took that team to the 2017 national championship game was also the head coach at Eastern Michigan from 2007-2012, where she compiled a 94-64 record. However, it was during her time with the Eagles in Ypsilanti where she racked up numerous NCAA violations — one of which was for excessive practicing one of the outlined concerns of the Detroit Mercy parents. Eastern Michigan was eventually put on probation due to the infractions and Gilbert resigned in 2012. The NCAA did though slap Gilbert with a two-year show-cause penalty for her various violations.
Other accusations made against Gilbert by the parents include:
- Gilbert pressured players into playing despite injuries and/or COVID-19 symptoms.
- The head coach “dissuaded” players from going to the medical staff and/or school administration.
- Gilbert prioritized basketball over academics and even mocked players with good grades for “not making basketball a priority”
- She has communicated unprofessionally with assistant coaches, “insulting them and threatening to fire them”.
- Gilbert would gossip during practice and one-on-one meetings with players.
The letter by the parents detailing the alleged abuse was sent to Detroit Mercy athletic director Robert Vowels Jr. this past Sunday. Vowels then reportedly met with each player on Tuesday to discuss the accusations against Gilbert outlined in the letter, however, the team demanded another meeting with the AD on Wednesday after the head coach showed up ready to conduct practice. It was during that Wednesday afternoon meeting that players threatened to sit out their next game Saturday if Gilbert remained on as head coach. From there, Vowels decided to cancel the rest of the season.
“The health and well-being of our student-athletes is our athletic department’s top priority,” an athletic department spokesperson told The Detroit Free Press in a statement. “We have talked with all players and members of our women’s basketball program about their concerns. We take them very seriously and will continue to review them closely.
“As we have prioritized the needs of our student-athletes during this challenging academic year, we have decided to suspend the 2020-21 women’s basketball season.”
Detroit Free Press
Gilbert, who was hired by Detroit back in April was brought on for the “terrific job as head coach at Virginia Union, Eastern Michigan and Oberlin and as an assistant coach at Michigan State,” Vowels said in a statement originally announcing her hire. He added, “Coach Gilbert and the student-athletes will strive for excellence on the court and in the classroom.”
Vowels didn’t comment further on the future of Gilbert with the program or why the University didn’t pass on hiring her given her extremely questionable track record to say the absolute very least. Either way, it doesn’t seem possible Detroit Mercy can move forward next season with Gilbert maintaining her position in any way, shape, or form.
Details of Gilbert’s contract were not made public by the private University.
