BY EVAN THOMPSON, Online Editor
When ex-Wildcats’ football head coach Blaine Bennett was dismissed from his contract five days prior to the start of fall football camp in August, fans, boosters, and even the athletes invested in the program were left wondering what prompted the abrupt termination.
New information has come to light, however, and it seems there are two sides of the story.
According to documents obtained by the Ellensburg Daily Record, Bennett was informed by Central Washington University officials that he had violated university rules and procedures. The administrators had cited concerns about money that was being spent on alcohol to entertain high school football coaches during summer football camps, and that he was misusing his position.
Other concerns were raised by previous athletic director Jack Bishop. Bishop sent a letter to Bennett in 2012 saying that he had violated a collective bargaining agreement between CWU and United Faculty of Central, when Bennett had tried hiring his father for a summer football camp.
Bennett, who compiled a 41-16 record and led the Wildcats to four Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles during his five years as head coach, provided a press release to The Observer stating that his dismissal had nothing to do with his ability as head coach.
“After reading the documents on file with CWU, and based upon my meeting on July 26th with CWU’s representatives, it was made crystal clear to me that the administration simply did not want me to be the head coach any longer at CWU,” Bennett wrote. “It was also very clear that the reason for this had nothing to do with my abilities as a coach, or any cause for termination, but instead it was to fulfill the personal objective of the athletic director and the administration to put in their choice of head coach after former athletic director, Jack Bishop, retired.”
Dennis Francois, who replaced Bishop as athletic director in June, warned Bennett in a letter on July 25 that he was considering his dismissal. Francois had discovered Bennett knowingly used state funds to assist in paying for the alcohol expenses.
Francois said that he was informed that Bennett’s salary cap had been raised from $50,000 to $54,000 to ensure that all purchases at the “off-campus socials” were to be solely paid by Bennett.
According to information obtained in a letter by The Daily Record, Spurs Bars and Grill owner Bret Stray confirmed that some of the costs were handed to the university.
The prices for coaches at the socials were renegotiated from $10 to $12, and that $2 was added to the invoice to cover part of the costs of the alcohol.
Francois and Bennett have both agreed to comment in response to the press release and the information portrayed in the article published by The Daily Record. Stay tuned for more updates.
Follow our Online Editor Evan Thompson on Twitter: @evanthompson_11
