TCU Banquet Canceled, Team Reportedly Suspended For Rest of Semester

There’s no news yet on the new coach of the TCU swimming & diving programs, but a local newspaper reports that the team’s banquet was canceled, and sources tell SwimSwam that the team has been suspended for the remainder of the semester.

TCU placed former head coach Sam Busch on administrative leave in February, just six months after hiring him and with a dual meet and the Big 12 and NCAA Championships still remaining on the team’s schedule. Busch resigned shortly after he was placed on leave.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported earlier this month that Busch was “going to be fired” after allegations that he verbally berated staffers at the TCU rec center, had a physical altercation with an assistant coach and was seen “at local bars drinking and fraternizing with students.” While the Star-Telegram report says swimmers and divers were unhappy with many of the changes Busch put into place, it also says that the team became frustrated with the athletic department’s refusal to give the team any information about why Busch was suspended during during the season:

“They told us nothing,” said one TCU swimmer, who along with three teammates spoke to the Star-Telegram. “They left us to explain the whole thing, and we didn’t know the answer.”

The Star-Telegram report goes on to say that “a series of embarrassing social media posts and behaviors by some members of the team” caused the athletic department to cancel the team’s banquet, which was to happen the weekend of April 7. “The department is frustrated with the team, and the team is frustrated with the department,” the report said.

Now, sources tell SwimSwam that the team is suspended from all athletic activities, including training, for the rest of the semester. Though that’s not as severe as a suspension during competition season, it does impact training in preparation for summer season.

Update: SwimSwam has received conflicting reports, with other sources saying that practice has just been made ‘optional’ for the rest of the academic year. TCU has not responded to our requests to verify the information.

We’re told TCU will announce its new head coach at a team meeting today.

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Lanehogg
6 years ago

Didn’t know Nick Swardson coached tcu? Sam is his doppelgänger. Pic is awesome of Sam! Can anyone guess what he is looking at? Go…

Muddy Canary
6 years ago

In regards to drinking between coaches and their athletes, I don’t think this is such a big deal in Europe (more acceptable). It’s fairly popular after big European soccer matches (where the age disparity of coach and players is huge, some pro players are 16, 18 for big clubs). I personally don’t have an issue with coaches/athletes socializing outside of the pool, and I think it’s necessary for the top level athletes. This is a weird cultural gray area for the U.S.A.
Busch is just a weirdo for not following rules he accepted to follow.

coachymccoachface
Reply to  Muddy Canary
6 years ago

Yeah, I’d call myself pretty accepting and liberal but a coach drinking with a 16 year old player? What the hell?

Becky D
Reply to  coachymccoachface
6 years ago

Ha! No Title IX issues to contend with there.

Muddy Canary
Reply to  coachymccoachface
6 years ago

See Bayern Munich team photo’s after Champions League, same with any other team that’s won a major football trophy and their young squad players. It doesn’t stop at football, either, as I have some friends who compete for their national teams (varying sports) and they also will have wine or beer with their coach.

pass gas in the fast lane
Reply to  Muddy Canary
6 years ago

exactly! he signed up to coach at a CHRISTIAN university. as I stated in an earlier post. not a Christian, but grew up in a Christian house, long time YMCA coach. YMCA has you sign a very light contract that you will adhere to Christian values while representing the ymca. all athletes and coaches sign this.

I’m sure at TCU it was much more serious. DUDE. GO SOMEWHERE THE COLLEGE KIDS DON”T HANG OUT. its not that hard. I did when I was a GA.

sam bush looks like the kind of guy you meet at applebees bar who really wants to befriend you and your wife but you are only sitting in the bar section because the restaurant… Read more »

han
6 years ago

I love the pic of Sam above.

Scottmom
6 years ago

Hear that a kid or two from AZ are begging to land at TCU….just need to find a way to pay for TCU…cha ching…

Scottmom
Reply to  Scottmom
6 years ago

Why negative responses to factual information? Hmmm….

Becky D
Reply to  Scottmom
6 years ago

Are you new here?

2 Cents
6 years ago

Everyone is going after Sammy (rightfully so, and he is certainly not free from criticism), but if it was all him then why would the entire team be suspended especially after the fact that he is no longer affiliated with the program? In other words, this suspension really doesnt seem to have anything to do with him. There is mention of “embarrassing social media posts and behavior” by the team. What happened here? Are they mad about the “firing” of Sammy? Are they upset with the new coaching hire? Why is the team so frustrated with the school? Can anyone dig up what was said on social media? I know its out there for all to see. Just wondering why… Read more »

Actually
Reply to  2 Cents
6 years ago

It appears from a swimmers post the team isn’t suspended. Also, if INVESTIGATORJONES is correct you have your answer on the reason for the “suspension”. Either way…. time to move forward after the announcement of a new coach. TCU will hire a great leader and the program will thrive in the future.

FroGs
Reply to  2 Cents
6 years ago

The team is currently having optional work outs, it is partially due to going over time during the year and partially due to the coaching transition. There are no social media posts to find. This article is very exaggerated.

InvestigatorJones
6 years ago

Team is suspended because ole Sammy went over the hourly limit so they needed to cut back to make the year whole..but what do I know

TCUFrog
6 years ago

Know some team members & coaches personally. Practice is optional until new coach is announced. Wonder who told swim swam they were suspended……

Notaswimmer
Reply to  TCUFrog
6 years ago

My guess is that if Practice time went over the set limit under Sam the admin is stating that team is suspended in order to avoid penalty or further investigation. Many teams make practices “optional”, especially afterSC competition ends, but it really isn’t!

Bugs Bunny
6 years ago

I have heard that Seth Huston (Rice) is a finalist for the position.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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