Dilemma: Right vs. Right
Good Coach, But Bad Role Model
Jim is a Big Ten basketball coach with more than two decades of experience; he has coached his teams through several national championships, winning two of them. Jim is obviously a talented and successful coach, but there have been many alleged reports of vulgar incidents and violent and abusive behavior towards team members over the years. Because the reports were unsubstantiated and Jim's tactics have continuously produced winning and loyal teams, the university has looked the other way.
Now, however, a videotape of the coach's engaging in physical conflict with a disgruntled player has come to light. In addition, past incidents have been revealed to the media, which include intimidation of a university employee.
The university now has to face its dilemma: Do they dismiss a valued, intelligent, and nationally recognized coach because of his unacceptable behavior, or should the university give this apologetic and remorseful individual a second chance?
What would you do?
Note: This and other dilemmas on this site come to you without their real-life resolutions. We encourage you to think for yourself about how you might resolve them, since the nature of each dilemma is highly individualistic. In sharing these dilemmas, we do not endorse them in any way, but rather offer them for your consideration.
