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  Bob Lutz  

University officials should be on guard

The Gene Stephenson situation is in the hands of lawyers and judges. It will take time to determine whether the accusations of a woman who said Wichita State's hugely successful baseball coach stalked her in 2007 are valid.

It has taken me some time to put my thoughts together on this matter. Stephenson is a Wichita icon and a man I deeply respect for his baseball accomplishments.

But if the court sides with the woman and issues a permanent restraining order against Stephenson, his status as a legendary coach shouldn't help him in the eyes of Wichita State administrators. They would have to make a difficult decision on whether to keep him around.

Stephenson is being paid a lot of money and part of his paycheck requires him to conduct himself in a professional manner, on and off the field.

That all of this is happening in the midst of baseball season is unfortunate. And I'm not sure whether the Shockers' lackluster play of late has anything to do with the accusations against Stephenson. I doubt it; the Shocker players have their own issues to worry about, such as getting key hits with runners in scoring position, without taking on their coach's problems.

Stephenson has called the woman's allegations untrue and said they have greatly hurt him and his family. He has not discussed the matter in any other detail.

This is, obviously, serious stuff, and I'm sure WSU officials are as eager to get to the bottom of it as are Stephenson and his accuser.

The official position of athletic director Eric Sexton is to call it a "personal issue."

When I asked Sexton to expand on the university's stand Wednesday, he said: "This is a personal issue for Coach Stephenson, separate from his job."

In other words, university officials are giving the second-winningest coach in college baseball history the benefit of the doubt, which is probably a benefit he has earned.

I just hope, and expect, those same officials are prepared for a worst-case scenario and don't get caught off-guard should the woman be issued a permanent protection-from-stalking order against Stephenson.

Have they asked themselves this difficult question: If it is proven Stephenson did stalk this woman, is it an offense that justifies he be fired?

Imagine Stephenson going into the home of a recruit, with a restraining order on his resume, and attempting to convince him to play baseball at Wichita State.

Imagine the mother sitting there, with her son, her husband and Stephenson, and then imagine what she might be thinking.

WSU's baseball program has had a sparkling reputation through the years. Outside of the beanball incident involving former Shocker pitcher Ben Christensen in 1999, there hasn't been much to criticize about the behavior of WSU players and coaches.

Stephenson gets lots of credit, deservedly so, for building the baseball program from the ground up in 1978 into a national championship contender, one that won a College World Series title in 1989.

It's important to remember he hasn't been convicted of any wrongdoing. He has been served a temporary restraining order while lawyers sort things out.

He might be telling the truth. The woman's story could be untrue.

If it is proven he isn't telling the truth, though, this becomes much more than Stephenson's personal matter for Wichita State officials. It becomes their matter, too.

Eagle sports columnist Bob Lutz co-hosts "Sports Daily" from 9-11 a.m. weekdays on KFH, 1240-AM and 98.7-FM. Reach him at 316-268-6597 or blutz@wichitaeagle.com.