McGill Head Football Coach Resigns
Coach Clint Uttley Says University and His Values Do Not Align on Statement on Player Charged with Assault
McGill Redmen head football coach Clint Uttley has resigned.
The resignation is a response to a statement released by Deputy Provost Ollivier Dyens Friday, following the arraignment of running back Luis-Andre Guimont-Mota.
The 22-year-old player pleaded not guilty to three criminal charges—assault, theft and uttering threats—in Montreal court Thursday.
Police say he allegedly committed domestic violence on his 21-year-old wife on Sept. 23 and 24.
The deputy provost’s statement addressed the fact that Guimont-Mota was convicted of assault in 2010 and given a 90-day intermittent jail sentence.
Guimont-Mota and two others had beaten up a younger man outside a bar in his hometown of Quebec City in 2010.
The celebrated running back entered his third year on the team and at the university this season.
In the statement, Dyens writes, “This individual should not have been invited to join our team.”
But Uttley said in a statement of his own on Canada Football Chat that Dyens’ position “does not represent my personal morals or values with regards to sport, recruiting and life in general.”
“I believe in rehabilitation,” Uttley wrote.
“How can someone aspire to rehabilitation when the leading institutions of Quebec and Canada shun those who have made an error in judgment?”
—Clint Uttley, McGill head football coach
Uttley says the university knew of Guimont-Mota’s criminal past when they brought him onto the team and “proceeded to celebrate his accomplishments thereafter.”
He highlights McGill’s initial acceptance of the player and its awareness of his recent conviction.
“In good conscience I cannot work for an organization that does not embrace equity and inclusiveness,” Uttley wrote. “Post-secondary education should be accessible for all.
“How can someone aspire to rehabilitation when the leading institutions of Quebec and Canada shun those who have made an error in judgment?”
The deputy provost says the university’s swift action in response to the player’s arrest reinforces “transparent decision-making, accountability and the commitment to the values that define the McGill learning environment.”
“There have been a few incidents in recent years where relevant information concerning football players was not dealt with appropriately,” Dyens wrote.
McGill came under fire last year when the school alleged it was not aware of the sexual assault charge three of its football players faced a year before, in April 2012.
They are accused of sexually assaulting a female Concordia student and a preliminary hearing is set for the fall.
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