The controversy around Head Coach Don Flanagan and the UNM women's basketball program is dying down.
Fatima Maddox was not allowed to start a game against New Mexico State on Dec. 21. She went to the NAACP to ask for assistance in getting released from UNM so she could transfer to another team.
UNM President Louis Caldera met with Harold Bailey, executive director of the state office of African-American Affairs, Athletic Director Rudy Davalos and Josef Powdrell on Wednesday to discuss reports of unfair treatment toward African-American players on the team.
A joint statement from all parties stated, "We support UNM's and coach Don Flanagan's efforts to recruit talented student athletes of African-American and other minority backgrounds. The NAACP's efforts on behalf of Ms. Maddox were not intended to reflect negatively on the character or integrity of coach Flanagan or UNM's women's basketball program. We recognize coach Flanagan's dedication to the program and his commitment to diversity."
Flanagan said Friday he released Maddox from the team faster than he's seen any other school release a player. Within four hours of her request, he said, she was released.
Maddox was not available for comment but told the NAACP she did not know why she was disciplined during the Dec. 21 game.
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"This is a case of an unhappy player who didn't like the discipline, and she quit," Flanagan said.
He said discipline is based on his practice philosophy, which takes into account an athlete's effort and positive attitude toward herself and other players.
He said Maddox was lacking in both areas.
"Those two things kept her from playing," Flanagan said.
He said an internal investigation found the program had nothing to hide, and he wishes the issue had been dealt with internally instead of creating a lot of negative national media coverage.
"During this whole time of negativity, the good things about the program get excluded," he said, such as the team's No. 23 ranking.
According to the statement, the "NAACP's role was not adversarial but only an effort to ensure that Ms. Maddox receive her requested release and that UNM would accommodate her transfer to another university."
Athletic Director Rudy Davalos said in the statement the program will continue to identify resources for African-American student athletes.
Davalos said they will keep working in connection with UNM's African-American Student Services to do this.
According to the statement, Bailey and Powdrell said they would make resources from the organizations available to UNM students.
Caldera encouraged Maddox to meet with him and expressed UNM's commitment to help her transfer to another school in the statement.
Flanagan said he hopes media attention will start to focus on positive elements of his program again.
He thought the statement released and the agreements made by all parties were a step in the right direction.
"Anytime we come together and support what's best for students, what's best for women's basketball, and what's best for the University, we achieve something great," he said.
