NCAA Iowa State cancels the remainder of the 2026 season

[Lisaelaine80]

She was part of it. Apparently her lack of coaching expereince was noticeable to the athletes and she was a terrible communicator to them.

So why was she hired?

 

[Ginger]

So why was she hired?

Incompetent AD obviously. Or maybe it was a part of his plan to get rid of WAG. It sounds like he was never a fan.
What enfuriates me most is the way he tried to shift the blame to the gymnasts. I wonder if there is a way NCAA can take action against ISU, like to demand Pollard's resignation or something.

ETA: Pollard has been ISU AD since 2005. KJ Kindler left in 2006, so I am wondering if he was one of the reasons she decided to take the Oklahoma offer.

 

[RedBirdie]

He absolutely was. KJ Kindler has spoken often about the fact that Iowa State, and Pollard, were not willing to invest in gymnastics. The practice gym needed upgrades when she was there, and they refused. They haven't made any upgrades 20 years later.

 

[Lisaelaine80]

Incompetent AD obviously. Or maybe it was a part of his plan to get rid of WAG. It sounds like he was never a fan.
What enfuriates me most is the way he tried to shift the blame to the gymnasts. I wonder if there is a way NCAA can take action against ISU, like to demand Pollard's resignation or something.

ETA: Pollard has been ISU AD since 2005. KJ Kindler left in 2006, so I am wondering if he was one of the reasons she decided to take the Oklahoma offer.

My first thought was that he was trying to sabotage the program.

 

[Big_rock_show]

So kind.

 

[BB12]

So why was she hired?

Thats the question everyone has been asking since she was.

 

[BB12]

Incompetent AD obviously. Or maybe it was a part of his plan to get rid of WAG. It sounds like he was never a fan.
What enfuriates me most is the way he tried to shift the blame to the gymnasts. I wonder if there is a way NCAA can take action against ISU, like to demand Pollard's resignation or something.

ETA: Pollard has been ISU AD since 2005. KJ Kindler left in 2006, so I am wondering if he was one of the reasons she decided to take the Oklahoma offer.

He essentially was. KJ and Lou knew that Iowa State was never going to give them the extra resources they needed to take the program to the next level so they looked for a school that would. And even then, Lou had to really push KJ to leave because she felt so imbedded to the program.

 

[Kara]

Gymnastics Now posted a letter from a current Iowa State gymnast:

“Pollard and Brown have failed us”: A current Iowa State gymnast speaks out after program cut - Gymnastics Now

A current Iowa State gymnast speaks out in a letter after the university cut the Cyclones’ gymnastics program, describing safety concerns, athlete frustrations, and criticism of athletic department leadership.

gymnastics-now.com

 

[KristyJ]

Gymnastics Now posted a letter from a current Iowa State gymnast:

“Pollard and Brown have failed us”: A current Iowa State gymnast speaks out after program cut - Gymnastics Now

A current Iowa State gymnast speaks out in a letter after the university cut the Cyclones’ gymnastics program, describing safety concerns, athlete frustrations, and criticism of athletic department leadership.

gymnastics-now.com

Wow, this really throws Pollard's words into stark contrast to what the gymnasts are saying. This letter makes so much more sense than a bizzarre explanation of a "complex series of conflicts" that apparently recurred over different groups of gymnasts. It sounds like Pollard knew that the blame going to the coaches would reflect badly on him because he had done nothing about it over time, and worse he knew that the coaching was poor. I hope this gives Iowa State cause to reassess his value to the university. If this is happening with one sport, it feels highly likely it would happen with another.