By Shane Connuck
Michael Sprague, who clashed with the St. John’s administration throughout the winter about his desire to let a girl wrestle for the program, stepped down after three seasons as coach.
Sprague said he told Athletic Director Dennis Hart in February — a week before The Washington Post published a story documenting his unsuccessful push to let the girl wrestle — that he would be leaving once the season concluded. That move became official this month.
“I told the AD that if the rule didn’t change, this was going to be my last year coaching,” said Sprague, 25. “It’s against my core values.”
Hart did not comment for this story and would not confirm that Sprague resigned. Hart also declined to comment during the winter about the female wrestler but provided a statement then, on behalf of the school, that said the issue “deserves a thoughtful review.”
“Decisions about the composition of teams, including issues like team size, gender, class-year eligibility, etc. are made at the level of the Athletic Director,” the statement said. “For obvious reasons, they are not made by individual coaches.”
After The Post published its story Feb. 17, Hart asked to meet with Sprague following the Cadets’ practice Feb. 21, according to the coach. According to Sprague, Hart and assistant athletic director Ashley Gingrich asked him what he thought of the article, whether there is anything he would do differently and what his plans were for the future.
Sprague said he reminded them this would be his final year at the Northwest Washington school.
“Wrestling is a community,” Sprague said about his decision. “The sport has given me so much that I feel like this is something that I should try to do to help so that other people — especially the people that wanted to join and couldn’t — could get those same positive experiences and lessons out of it.”
Sprague’s full-time job at a consulting company consists of remote work, and the Georgetown Prep and American University alumnus said he is considering moving to the West Coast. He is looking to take a year off from wrestling “after all this craziness,” he said. Read more at The Washington Post.
Photo: Michael Sprague will depart after three seasons as the St. John’s wrestling coach. (Greg Fiume/For The Washington Post)
