Michigan fires hockey coach Mel Pearson

Phall

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Michigan is a collegiate hockey blue-blood. There are about 40 alumni on NHL rosters currently, making it the most represented college or club team in the league. Michigan purchased one of the first hockey arenas for a university in 1925 and has fielded a varsity team since 1992. The combination of facilities, geography, and tradition all lend themselves to the program's prestige.

Legendary hockey player and coach Red Berenson led Michigan from 1984 to 2017, an incredible tenure. He was succeeded by his assistant of 23 years, Mel Pearson, who also had four seasons of head coaching experience. Pearson was hired to 'keep the lights on,' so to speak, and he largely did so. In five seasons, he had two Frozen Four appearances and another tournament berth cancelled by Covid. He also recruited and coached some acclaimed draft classes.

Pearson came under fire last year when goaltending consultant Steve Shields filed a complaint after being fired by Pearson from his volunteer position. Shields had filed a complaint that Pearson's assistant Rick Bancroft was "discriminating against women." He alleges that Pearson unjustly fired him in retaliation. Bancroft retired after that season.

The university paid a law firm hundreds of thousands of dollars for an "unbiased report" amassing everything they could find wrong with the hockey program. A couple disgruntled former players said the coach was mean to them. There was an allegation that Pearson instructed his players to "answer correctly" when they were filling out their Covid contact tracing forms before the 2021 postseason tournament. Ultimately, they settled on Pearson allowing Bancroft to yell at a female employee once, causing her to cry, and going unpunished, as the reason he must go. Pearson was well-liked by plenty, including the athletic director, but with women on the board of regents, the decision was only going to go one way.

Michigan may promote assistant coach Bill Muckalt to the role, or they may blow the whole thing up and hire a black tranny. The next discussion to table after the coaching search is whether or not to rename the Yost Ice Arena because Fielding Yost was mean to blacks or women (can't remember which) eighty years ago.
 

Phall

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Mel Pearson shared his side of the story of his firing with a sympathetic reporter. It's not super-interesting necessarily but does shed some light on the machinations behind his termination. Pearson helped retired NHL goalie Steve Shields with a position on staff, which escalated into a clash of egos and power struggle. After Shields was fired for insubordination, he vowed vengeance and used the tools of present-day religion (covid safety, mistreatment of women) to kick up a fuss.


Fired hockey coach Mel Pearson speaks for the first time on ‘what really went down' at Michigan

After 40 years as a college hockey coach, Mel Pearson will not be on a campus this season, having been dismissed from the University of Michigan in August. The claims against him and others there were numerous and thoroughly investigated. In an exclusive hour-long interview with The Rink Live where no topics were off limits, Pearson offered his side of the story regarding the case made against him and his hockey program.

 

white lightning

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What happened to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law? This country now is a country of knarks and liars which will lead to an
even faster fall than Rome. A nation built on lies cannot stand. Mel Pearson deserves better. To give over half of your life only to be
fired, disgraced and humiliated is so unfair.
 
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