Texas Wesleyan University’s head baseball coach Mike Jeffcoat was fired on Thursday after an email surfaced in which he told a prospective student from Colorado he would not recruit due to the state legalizing marijuana.
Jeffcoat stated that he and the baseball program would not recruit any player from Colorado because they were more likely to fail a drug test.
“In the past, players have had trouble passing our drug test. We have made a decision to not take a chance on student-athletes from your state,” Jeffcoat wrote in the email. “You can thank your liberal politicians. Best of luck wherever you decide to play.”
The announcement of Jeffcoat’s firing was made less than 24 hours later by Texas Wesleyan President Fred Slabach and Athletic Director Steve Trachier.
“We are aware of the email sent by our baseball coach, and the comments he made are in no way a reflection of Texas Wesleyan University, its values or its recruiting practices,” a statement issued by the school reads in part.
Jeffcoat, a former MLB pitcher, was originally hired by Texas Wesleyan in 2002 and amassed more than 500 victories in his college coaching career.
