Society

University to fire ex-coaches over player's dirty tackle

Jul 31 (Japan Today) - A university in Tokyo decided Monday it will dismiss two former coaches of its American football team over a dangerous late tackle by one of its players during an intercollegiate game in May that injured an opposing player.

Nihon University's decision comes after the governing body of college football and a university third-party panel found the two former coaches -- head coach Masato Uchida and assistant coach Tsutomu Inoue -- responsible for ordering the foul play.

They received a lifetime ban from competition in June over the May 6 incident, in which a linebacker on the university's team injured the quarterback of archrival Kwansei Gakuin University.

The third-party panel of seven lawyers appointed by Nihon University to investigate the incident said at a press conference Monday that the coaches had been giving instructions to players in a way that imposed a heavy burden on its players, possibly a form of power harassment.

The panel, headed by a former senior public prosecutor, also released its final investigation report Monday, criticizing the way the incident was handled by the university's chairman, Hidetoshi Tanaka.

According to the panel, Tanaka has avoided making public appearances or statements since the incident, intensifying public criticism of the university.

The panel advised Tanaka to issue a statement of apology, and recommended establishing a group led by outside personnel to govern sport teams at the university.

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