CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The University of North Carolina has placed Hall of Fame women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell and her three assistants on paid administrative leave amid player concerns and is reviewing the program amid player concerns.
School spokesman Steve Kirschner said Monday in a statement that the review is "due to issues raised by student-athletes and others." He did not specify what those issues were.
Hatchell is accused of making racist comments and pressuring players to play hurt, according to a new Washington Post article.
The Washington Post also reported three players reported feeling pressured by Hatchell to play through injuries.
The newspaper reports one of the racially offensive remarks included Hatchell suggesting her players would get “hanged from trees with nooses” if their performance didn’t improve.
One player later learned she needed shoulder surgery. Another had a torn tendon in her knee and a third said Hatchell doubted whether she suffered a concussion.
Hatchell's attorney told the newspaper the comments in question were incorrect or misconstrued.
As for the injuries, her attorney said Hatchell didn’t recall the allegations. The attorney said Hatchell never would have tried to convince anyone to play without clearance from the medical staff.
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Kirschner said the university has hired a Charlotte-based law firm to conduct the review and "assess the culture" of the program. He said there was no timetable but added the review will be "thorough and prompt."
In a statement to The Associated Press, Wade Smith says Hatchell "does not have a racist bone in her body" and "cares deeply about (players') health and well-being."
Hatchell, a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee, is the winningest women's basketball coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history. She has a career record of 1,023-405 and is 751-325 mark in 33 years at UNC with a national title in 1994.
Hatchell became the third women's coach in Division I with 1,000 career victories in 2017, made her 23rd career NCAA Tournament appearance last month and is the only coach with national championships at three levels - AIAW, NAIA and NCAA.
She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013, underwent chemotherapy through March 2014 and returned the following season to lead the Tar Heels to a 26-9 finish.
North Carolina went 18-15 this season with upsets of top-10 teams North Carolina State and Notre Dame, before losing to California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.