There was an awkward calm around the ACC as no new developments surfaced this weekend in the lawsuit that has turned the college soccer world on its ear.
Anson Dorrance, UNC's highly decorated women's soccer coach, faces allegations of "inappropriate" conduct brought on by ex-players Debbie Keller and Melissa Jennings.
The $12 million lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District court, accuses Dorrance of, among other things, making unwanted sexual advances at Keller and forcing Jennings to loan $400 to the soccer program for supplies.
Duke coach Bill Hempen says coaches everywhere have taken notice of the ugly situation.
"It's a scary thing, not only for the league but for male coaches in general," Hempen said Sunday from his home. "I guess my naivete makes me think or wish that nothing like this could ever happen."
On Friday, Jennings' lawyer Louis Varchetto revealed two letters written from UNC to his client which he says substantiate the claims of misconduct.
The first, addressed to Jennings' father Craig, calls it "entirely inappropriate" for a coach to borrow money "for whatever reason or whatever length of time from a member of a team."
The letter is signed by former UNC athletics director and current ACC commissioner John Swofford. Swofford and UNC's current AD Richard Baddour are among several other defendants named in the suit.
The second letter, dated June 9 of this year and signed by Baddour, addresses charges that Jennings was dropped from the team for complaints about Dorrance's behavior, and apologizes for Dorrance's participation in discussions about players' private lives.
Baddour announced last week that a thorough internal investigation of Dorrance, a winner of 15 national championships, had already been completed.
"Although we found no evidence of misconduct, we did conclude his conduct did fall short of conduct of the standards of good judgment we expect," Baddour said.
Hempen worried about the potential impact of such a case against the winningest coach in Division I soccer history.
"I hope it doesn't change the way coaches are allowed to coach their athletes," he said. "It's a dangerous situation.
"You become a part of those kids' lives. Parents trust you with their children and now you're scared that something you say or do may be taken the wrong way."
Keller's accusations that Dorrance repeatedly made "uninvited, unauthorized and offensive physical contact" highlight the difficulty of drawing the line between appropriate and inappropriate coaching behavior.
"Unless there's an administrator at every event to monitor the interaction between athletes and coaches, there's no way to prevent something like this [lawsuit]," Hempen said. "And that's never going to happen.
"You have to trust the people you hire to represent your athletic department and your university."
Keller, the 1996 college player of the year and a current member of the U.S. National Team, alleges that in Oct. 1996, Dorrance coerced her into meeting him at a secluded area, where he then made an "uninvited sexual advance."
She and Jennings, a former backup goalkeeper, are seeking $12 million in compensatory and punitive damages against Dorrance, administrators including Swofford and Baddour, and the University itself.
In a press conference Tuesday, Dorrance defended himself against the charges and denied that he had ever had a sexual relationship with a former player. Lawyers for Keller and Jennings had intimated that Dorrance, coach of the U.S. national team from 1985-1994, quit that position after an improper relationship with a player.
"I am shocked and saddened by these allegations," he said. "I intend to vigorously defend myself and this program's integrity. The allegations of sexual harassment and advances are not true. I have never and would never abuse my position in any way."
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