JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The former head coach of the University of North Florida’s volleyball team is pushing back against allegations made by former players that were detailed in a months-long investigation by the school, according to her attorney.
UNF investigators determined that claims that coach Kristen Wright was negatively affecting players’ physical and mental health over multiple seasons at the school were “substantiated.” (The investigation into Wright was first reported by the Spinnaker, UNF’s student-run media outlet.)
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Among the claims, players alleged that Wright was ignoring or encouraging student-athletes to play through serious physical injuries, causing them to experience panic attacks and other mental health issues.
The school investigation was completed on Nov. 18, and two weeks later, UNF announced Wright’s resignation after eight seasons leading the team.
Wright’s attorney, Sam Kanupp, said the “allegations are contrary to the lived experience of the coaching staff, and overwhelming majority of players.”
An investigative report obtained by News4JAX said the original report included a first-person account of a student-athlete who suffered an injury and was told by Wright to be “mentally tougher” and play through it. That resulted in a re-injury of the same body part. The report went on to describe situations in which two former student-athletes were encouraged to play through injuries or returned from injuries too quickly, resulting in medical retirements, and another who needs surgery, but the request to have surgery was “denied” by Wright.
UNF stated that it interviewed all four individuals to whom the allegations in the report pertained. Two current players stated that Wright’s attitude toward their injuries influenced their decisions to continue playing rather than undergo surgery or sit out. Other interviewees also described a culture, led by Wright, in which players were accused of milking injuries, using them as excuses for poor play, or in which a player’s commitment to the team was questioned if they felt too injured to play, according to the investigation. UNF said seven of 10 former players interviewed provided either firsthand accounts of feeling like Wright did not take their injuries seriously or that Wright’s response to their injuries was to question their commitment to the team.
Wright told UNF investigators that players are either cleared or not cleared by the trainer, and that she receives an injury report with information on who is available to play, and denied pressuring any player to play through an injury or delaying surgery, stating that it is the player’s choice.
But one athletics department employee told UNF they remembered a time when Wright told a player to “prepare for competition” when that player wasn’t cleared by the trainer. UNF determined that the allegations were substantiated as violations of UNF’s ethical conduct and behavior policies.
“Coach Wright’s characterization of a player’s succumbing to an injury as a lack of mental toughness or commitment to the team, as described by multiple players across multiple years, contributes to a culture that deprioritizes student-athlete health and safety and discourages student-athletes from being honest about their health. Her need for information and questioning of student-athletes’ regarding their injuries can be viewed not as helpful, but as coercive,” UNF wrote in its report.
UNF also said mental health was a common theme among former players who were interviewed, and none had an overall positive view of how mental health was prioritized under Wright.
Negative examples included “hot seats” or “circle time,” in which players were encouraged—some alleged they were coerced—into sharing trauma or extremely private information about themselves in a group setting with teammates and coaches, some of whom they had only recently met. Later, information shared in these sessions would be “used against them” by Wright, according to the report.
Three of the six current players interviewed reported significant mental health issues, including struggles with depression and anxiety, and attributed those issues to the environment created by Wright, UNF said.
Wright denied the mental health allegations and described her style as “positive and demanding,” but the allegations made by players involving mental health were substantiated by the investigator and found to violate multiple school policies.
Wright’s attorney said overall, the investigation was flawed.
“The investigation was not intended to gather all the relevant evidence,” Kanupp wrote in a statement to News4JAX. “The University only sought information from individuals known or likely to have negative feelings toward the program and/or Coach Wright.”
Kanupp said his client asked that UNF interview additional witnesses, but it denied that request.
There were also allegations against Wright regarding disparate treatment based on race, national origin, and religion, but school investigators found that those did not rise to the level of discrimination or harassment, as those terms are defined by UNF. Additional allegations regarding adherence to team activity limits were also not substantiated.
Coach Wright was in shock about the allegations, Kanupp said, and added that “Wright treats every player she has ever coached equally and with dignity, support, and respect.”
Kanupp said the team and parents of the current team were confused when Wright was removed and placed on administrative leave after leading the team to a win over Jacksonville University on Oct. 30, because not everyone was aware of the school’s investigation.
Wright, whose team finished with a 14-17 record this season, decided to move on from the University due to the lack of support from the administration, according to Kanupp.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to Coach Wright for her great leadership and unwavering commitment to the North Florida Volleyball program,” Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Nick Morrow said in a statement on Dec. 4 following Wright’s resignation. “Her contributions have strengthened our program and positively influenced the broader volleyball community. We wish her continued success in all future endeavors.”
On Tuesday, UNF named Abby Gilleland as the seventh head coach in the 35-year history of the North Florida Volleyball program.