C.D. Mock, head wrestling coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an outspoken critic
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C.D. Mock, head wrestling coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an outspoken critic of how young men accused of rape are treated nationwide, has been fired, the university announced on Friday.
In December Mr. Mock began a blog devoted to publicizing what he called a violation of the rights of male students accused of rape. His son, Corey Mock, had been found responsible for a sexual assault at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. (His case was the subject of an investigation by VICE Sports.) Mr. Mock has posted periodically on the blog since then.
In a news release announcing the change, the university’s athletic director, Bubba Cunningham, said the decision had been related to the team’s success. “I believe a new head coach will re-energize the program and return it to the level of success I expect from all of our teams,” Mr. Cunningham said. The release noted that the team had not finished higher than fourth at the ACC Championships since 2008.
But in an email to The Chronicle, Mr. Mock said that the team had been “very competitive” and that he believed the university had “no reason” to fire him.
In an email, a spokesman for the athletic department, Kevin S. Best, reiterated that firing Mr. Mock was “a performance-based decision.”
