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President troubled by initial report
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer says he's awaiting a final report on women's basketball coach Judy Runge but he's troubled by comments from lawyers conducting the review. Frohnmayer hired the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King to review the women's program after eight of her players went to athletic director Bill Moos last month and demanded that Runge be fired. Frohnmayer requested independent briefings from the law firm, which completed its interviews two weeks ago. When asked if he heard anything at his last briefing that caused concern, Frohnmayer said yes, "and that's really as much as I can say at this point." University officials still have not received the firm's final report, and has not indicated when it will be complete. No deadline was set. Frohnmayer said he wants the review finished as quickly as possible, but it's important to have a thorough and independent evaluation. He said it's not uncommon to seek outside review, but supporters of the women's basketball program met with him to express concerns about the way the matter was being handled. "It's wholly appropriate to have an independent verification of circumstances," Frohnmayer said Tuesday. "It's done all the time in the private sector, and we do it for all kinds of other programs." "The fact that misgivings were expressed makes it all the more important to have a process that is fair and truly evaluative," he added. The players told Moos at the March 4 meeting that Runge lacked communication and coaching skills, and said she should be fired. Runge was on vacation in Mexico and was expected to return to Eugene at the end of the week. Her attorney has said that no one at the university ever discussed player complaints directly with the coach. She was not given any details until she was interviewed by the firm on April 3. Moos did meet with Runge for about an hour after the Ducks returned from the NCAA Tournament in late March, and there was at least one conversation between her and a university official. Frohnmayer said a longer meeting with Runge will be held as soon as the review is completed. Bond, Schoeneck & King is a Kansas City-based law firm with a national reputation for evaluating troubled college athletic departments.
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