The athletic department along with university administration remains quiet on reasons why head football coach Robby Long was dismissed Sunday morning.
Stevie Baker-Watson, DePauw's athletic director, dismissed Long for failing to "comply with administrative expectations and university policy," according to an Athletic Department release.
On Monday, Baker-Watson still wouldn't reveal specifics on what "administrative expectations" he did not meet leading up to his dismissal.
Most coaches at DePauw hold secondary assignments along with their coaching positions. Baker-Watson used head field hockey coach Gina Wills' position as director of club sports and intramurals as an example of a secondary assignment.
For years, Long was director of student athletic recruitment until about a month after Baker-Watson's arrival in February.
Baker-Watson and Long agreed that being head football coach required his full attention; therefore, he did not need a secondary assignment. She stated this did not factor into the dismissal, and Baker-Watson would not elaborate further on a specific reason as to why Long was dismissed.
"That is the question everybody will be asking, and it's something that that's where it crosses the line, and it becomes a personnel issue," Baker-Watson said. "I've been honest and forthcoming thus far with why we came to this decision and how we came about it. ... But there are some things that are meant to remain private, and this is one of those things."
President Brian Casey also would not elaborate Monday morning on specific reasons for Long's dismissal. He said the university does not discuss personnel matters publicly, and it never will.
"I understand the dissatisfaction that might come from that, but the decision not to open up personnel files and talk about that is sort of a standing university position," Casey said. "But I get that. I get that. I get why that's dissatisfying."
He also voiced his displeasure with the lack of "consistent leadership" in the program.
"I am so looking forward to there being a rigorous public national search for a football coach, which we have not done for a long time," he said. "I cannot wait to begin this search, and I cannot wait to have this program stabilized. I am not happy.
"We've had ineffective leadership now for a number of years. You cannot have a program do well without consistent leadership and consistent strong leadership over a period of time, and we have not had that, and I don't like that."
Baker-Watson added: "I'm committed to this football program and making it successful, and I've said that to Robby when he was in his role."
The decision to dismiss Long, according to Casey, came from Baker-Watson. Casey said he was only briefed on the matter, and Baker-Watson made the final decision.
Baker-Watson said she was in constant contact with her immediate superior, Cindy Babington, vice president of student life and dean of students.
"[Cindy] is in the loop in all of this stuff," Baker-Watson said. "This was a huge decision for this department, this institution and the program. This is not something that I went in alone on. It's something I regularly and routinely consulted with Cindy on."
Babington declined to comment Monday afternoon.
"This was not a decision made in the course of minutes," Baker-Watson said. "This was a very thoughtful discussion with Cindy and other folks on campus whether this was the best thing for us. In the end, we believe this is the best thing for DePauw and the football program."
Long's dismissal came the next morning after losing his final game as head coach - a 52-14 loss to Wittenberg University on Saturday. Baker-Watson remained firm on her statement that the dismissal had nothing to do with wins and losses, but was a decision made because Long did not meet her timetable for complying with administrative expectations.
"I wish Robby well in his next endeavor, but I needed to make a decision that was in the best interest of us," Baker-Watson said. "I'm hopeful I did everything in the right way so it remains in the best interest of DePauw."
Assuming the interim head coaching position is second-year defensive coordinator, Scott Srnka. Before he came to DePauw, he was defensive coordinator for 17 years at his alma mater, Rhodes College. This is his first head football coaching role.
A national search for a new head coach will begin at the conclusion of the season.
- Ellen Kobe contributed to this article.