Bill Wadley is no longer the CEO for the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), a source close to the organization tell SwimSwam.
The organization emailed members today, confirming that Wadley will be resigning, effective at the end of this month. We’ve reached out to ASCA for further comment and will update if any more information is provided.
Update: Here is ASCA’s full statement from Board Chair Mike Koleber: “The hard working staff at ASCA continues to do a phenomenal job. Unprecedented times seems to be an understatement nowadays. Yet they are committed as ever to the mission. The production and delivery of valuable and relevant coaching resources have never been better. We’re plowing forward for the Coaches of ASCA and we continue to be optimistic for the future.”
Wadley was the head coach for men’s swimming & diving for 28 years at Ohio State University. He retired from that post in 2017. Last fall, ASCA announced Wadley as its new executive director.
ASCA was led by John Leonard for 35 years, but has now had two executives last less than a year. Steve Roush took over for Leonard, but resigned after just nine months. Wadley took over the role in October, but is now out after less than three months.
Wadley was in the news recently as the owner of a Columbus, Ohio home where police shot and killed an unarmed Black man named Andre Hill. The killing has led to heavy criticism of the police officers on the scene, who failed to activate their body-worn cameras and left a significant delay before they started to provide first aid to Hill after shooting him. Adam Coy, the white police officer who shot Hill multiple times, has been terminated.
Wadley and his wife have owned the home where the shooting happened since 1989. Transcripts from the Columbus Police Department show that at least nine calls to 911 have come from that address in the past year and a half. In several of the calls, a woman reports physical abuse, referencing a live-in boyfriend whom she calls “Bill.”
We’ve reached out to Wadley for comment and for more information on the property, but have not yet received a response.
So Wadley gets a ticket for driving 2 miles an hour down Sullivant Ave. in Columbus (street with the highest rate of prostitution in the city) in September of 2016. Within 6 months, he’s retiring from OSU. Coincidence?
your post would suggest that but if you really read it, its 4 degrees of separation, its actually akin to SwimSwam’s original, groundbreaking story on this Columbus story
now remember I’m really working with some of you on this “facts versus alt reality” when you have convinced yourself and others who just know things are going to happen or have happened before you have seen facts- and if he wasn’t found doing something you have inferred by your suggestion, has that really helped anyone. No.
I do know his peers at ASCA no longer support him and voted “no confidence.” I do know he resigned. Boy is “sus” at best. Weird stuff on those body cams.
Is “sus” the same as “smoke” or “we know enough”, I’m starting to get a read on the SwimSwam court of opinion. It’s really something.
First, I apologize to SwimSwam for linking to SwimmingWorld (below), but their article goes deeper and includes quotes from Koleber, Schubert and Wadley himself.
What’s interesting is the vote of no confidence despite their continued support (see Schubert’s quote) and Wadley’s staunch denial of any wrongdoing.
My take–if this were simply a case of, “those were my tenants, people I let use the house, etc” there would be ZERO reason for a no confidence vote and this thing would evaporate with a simple investigation and subsequent statement.
The no confidence and denial (I’m innocent but leaving anyway for the good of ASCA) means there’s fire there…and he just doesn’t want the flames fanned any further.
https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/bill-wadley-dismissed-as-asca-executive-director/?fbclid=IwAR0iprd5acWT6f5Nl_oM9L7jl34hhIKyFTivaYM05fxnf4RClwUDJ0YSYO4
Anybody who can’t see through Swimming World’s article, which came complete with quotes before membership was told, as the PR job that it is…
What do you want to bet that we’ll see Bill Wadley as the newest contributor to their “one in a thousand” campaign soon.
JOOOOKE.
100% – where there’s smoke…
Swimming World has a financial arrangement and partnership with ASCA. That’s why they’re lobbing softballs on this issue. Wadley was forced to resign, which means he was fired.
Not exactly. If you resign, then no unemployment.
So is your issue with Bill Wadley or the ASCA or both? You have seen (and posted) the explanation form Swimming World. So where is the fire you (and indirectly SwimSwam with their initial “reporting”) are implying? Is your issue with Bill Wadley as a landlord, you may have an argument. So back to the fire you are reporting, please elaborate?
Huh?
What is the “fire” you reference? Your quote below:
“The no confidence and denial (I’m innocent but leaving anyway for the good of ASCA) means there’s fire there…and he just doesn’t want the flames fanned any further.”
All I am asking you 50M Pools Rule is where is the said fire with Bill Wadley? There is this story out of Columbus re: a house he owns. What is his role in the story? At least elaborate on this “fire”.
Thank you
Did ya read the 911 transcripts? I mean, come on? Seriously? No fire? Did you read this one: https://www.thesussireport.com/reports/house-andre-hill-visited-has-history-with-police. Something isn’t right here.
You literally answered the question yourself 🤣
You have literally dodged my question- a guy owns a house since 1989 where a guy was killed and in the SwimSwam court of opinion there is a fire??? Where??? Be accountable and feel free to chime in when you have facts.
Dodging what? I literally laid it all out in the original post man. What’s to answer. Captain Crunch must be Bill Wadley commenting 🤣
Owning a house where a murder took place. 9 911 calls from said house. Being called “Bill” and “Bill Ladley” on 911 calls. Having a BOD vote no confidence. Resigning. If you did nothing wrong, you don’t resign. If you did nothing wrong, a BOD doesn’t vote no confidence. You simply say, “I had bad tenants” or “they were folks in need who turned out to be bad apples” or “my ‘niece’ hangs out with bad people” or literally anything else if you’re innocent. But you don’t resign from a new position as CEO and… Read more »
I’m proud of you! You are now getting it that it may have zero to do with Bill Wadley himself as a coach or CEO but….whatever happened with someone else on his property is his problem as a landlord. So the fire you referenced is maybe with his tenants?
I have enjoyed reading how confident you and others are about what a CEO should do and this “fire” you know is there. Some of you are so incredibly intelligent when you just sit and agree with each other on this site, cause you just know, right? Loved “I just laid it out for you?” Love me you really know what’s going on.
What will you say if this… Read more »
Listen Bill – if you didn’t do anything and it was just bad tenants, you wouldn’t have resigned so quickly and been forced out by your colleagues. That’s fire dude. If you were innocent, Bill, just tell us.
That’s right, Bill. The truth will set you free!
You don’t need the truth from him, just roll with the wisdom on this SwimSwam thread- that’s all one really needs!
Just a matter of time before all of this comes out. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on here. Sad.
And when it comes out, we will know. Then you can say “ah ha, I knew it”, and you can feel good about waiting for all of the facts. You were then accountable!
Sorry, not Bill Wadley and your confidence in acting like you what is going on, when not really knowing what is going on, is impressive man! Who “forced him out”- oh is that another extrapolation like you know there is “fire”? Dude you just know things, don’t you?
Do the math, buddy. Do the math. The 911 calls referencing his name. The tickets from prostitution and drug trafficking parts of town. The timeline around the earlier ones for his “retirement.” It certainly doesn’t look good.
See above
In the police video from body cams for other officers who arrived on scene and went to house, you can clearly hear Bill’s voice while the woman (his niece) says “that’s my baby’s daddy” and “that’s my husband” while Bill says “I’ve never seen that guy.” Seems odd to me that he would never have met husband of his niece who lives with him, who is bringing over Christmas money.
I think that’s fire.
Fire for the tenants but not Bill Wadley. He’s just the landlord for what we know.
Tenants. Ha! Bill lived there. With the “niece” who was interestingly dressed for nearly 2 am for the guy who showed up whom she “kept waiting” according to the video footage. He’s in the house, in his pajamas. https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/columbus-police-release-additional-body-cam-video-from-andre-hill-shooting-january-7-2021
So maybe he lives with his niece and there was domestic concern with the niece and someone else. How again is that “fire” about Bill Wadley as a coach and the ASCA posiiton? You all are reporting this big thing or “fire” about Bill Wadley- but nothing relates to swimming relationships or as a coach or as a CEO, its a bout events at his property.
Bill, you crack me up.
Captain Crunch (Bill) – we certainly don’t know every fact. But we know enough. And we’re all intelligent to know that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And that people who’ve done absolutely nothing wrong don’t have their board vote ‘no confidence’ and don’t resign from a CEO position they’ve held for such a short time.
It sounds like you are 100% convinced you are correct! “But we know enough”…..I love the fact that you (and others- “we”) feel that you know enough for your judgement. That’s all that matters 50M Pools Rule. SwimSwam should feel good about your/others’ contribution to this issue of Bill Wadley and his issues with tenants of a property he has owned since 1989. Bravo!!
Was your landlord ever at your rental unit at 1:30 in the morning? Ever? Did your landlord ever call a neighbor to say that a friend of yours was bringing you gift money? Bills voice is on the tape when police arrive and knock on the door of the house at 1:30am.
Unless I have missed something, the SW article is the only place I have read where Wadley has spoken publicly. Quite interesting. The focus in Ohio is now on the police officer’s actions and history- obviously important because a life was lost.
Wadley went where he knew he wouldn’t be challenged, where he could make up any lie he wants and the writer would smile and say “sure Bill, thank you.”
It’s like Donald Trump going on OAN. He goes where he knows he can say what he wants to say and nobody will question it.
How do you know who all he went to about this?
Because he didn’t respond to SwimSwam?
He gave a statement to SW and resigned
What else are you looking for?
Bill, you’re doing a great job defending yourself. Applaud you, man (or dude, as you say 100 times in the body cam videos)!
Looks like he had an issue with a tenant at the property he has owned for 31 years. You keep your eyes peeled for anymore stories that look like “smoke”….I’m sure many others are relying on you to report that “fire” you think is coming. Keep us posted Magnum P.I., your doing awesome!
Who is this tenant you refer to? His niece? I can only assume you’ve also watched the body cam videos, correct? Where Bill himself is speaking for a good 15 minutes, comes out in pajamas, and the niece leaves, as well? And I’d love your opinion, then, on why his ASCA peers voted “no confidence” and why did he resign? If it’s over tenants, as you say, that makes no sense. Which has been my point all along. I own a house nearby and rent it out. If my tenant commits a crime in that house, I don’t resign my job or have my job vote “no confidence.”
It’s the tenants at his property I guess. From the SwimSwam statement its seems that the issue. That is all we have- again you are giving lofty credence to the SwimSwam/50m Pools Rule Court of Opinion in the matter. You don’t know the details.
As for my opinion on ASCA- that is EXACTLY you/others’ problem, there is no way to form an opinion until we know the details of why he resigned. He gave a statement on Swimming World. So when people don’t like his statement, at that point it really boils down to people fishing for something that isn’t there.
Keep looking for your smoke. Maybe the SwimSwam editor on this piece Mr. Anderson can chime in on this.… Read more »
*you’re
I’m not sure of the facts of the situation in Columbus. Maybe he was somehow involved. I don’t have any idea since I’m not privy to the details of the investigation, but there is a process in place to find out what happened. I’m not sure this is the case in the court of public opinion. It does seem that guilty until proven innocent is the way it works now. I am curious though with all these comments about corrupt leadership at ASCA and calls for cleaning out the Board, who would you harsh critics approve of who would be willing to serve on the ASCA Board or as the Exec Director once you do clean house? Does the entire… Read more »
Well stated SwimCoachDad. Quite a colorful thread- off of a story where a lot of the specifics aren’t available. SwimSwam will hopefully take the opportunity to follow-up their initial piece of journalism regarding this story.
Personally, I’ve always thought they need to expand the search outside of big name coaches, who tend to dominate the board positions. Look at people who have a blend of coaching background with business acumen. Look at the coaches who lead novice or age group programs, but do so at night after a full-time job in the business world. People who equally understand the needs of a coach and athlete, but also know how to run a business.
Big name coaches aren’t the only ones who can lead and mentor the coaching community.
He seems very suspicious. I think it’s right for him to resign at this time. This might hint that something big is about to happen on this situation.
2021 already giving me full on 2010 vibes (ton of out-of-the-pool drama), glad to see that Swimswam is having a large impact on all this.
Swimswam crushing it on the journalistic front this week.
https://www.thesussireport.com/reports/house-andre-hill-visited-has-history-with-police
Guess Schubert acknowledged that he had to give a vote of “no confidence.” REALLY need some fresh faces at ASCA.
I second that. ASCA would definitely enhance it’s credibility if Schubert wold move aside.
Get Koleber out of there too. Tim O’Brien’s illicit swimmer relations were the best known secret on the Austin pool decks, going back to their days together before Nitro. Koleber helped keep it hush to preserve his money ticket.
There are several posts on Nitro Facebook and ASCA talks where Mike bragged about Tim spending time with swimmers outside of practice.
Do I think Mike should go? No opinion, but it does raise eyebrows when you consider how far back Mike and Tim go. This on top of the camera situation with the janitor does give me a lot of confidence in his ability to run ASCA.
This is a great time for ASCA to completely clean up the mess that John Leonard and his cronies left and jettison all remaining ties to his corrupt leadership. This includes the board. I don’t know everyone on the board, but I see some good people like Matt Kredich, Ken Heis, Doug Wharam, Megan Oestling, Jeff Julien and Braden Holloway. There are others on the board that maybe didn’t do any wrong, but were negligent in the Wadley hire, remain loyal to John Leonard or have just plain had their opportunity to serve and now need to move aside for the organization to properly grow and develop. I hope it happens and I’ll one day join again, even if my… Read more »
I said this on the other article, but HUGE props to SwimSwam on their reporting through this story. This is the type of journalism we need in our sport to make sure those in power are held accountable for their actions. We only want the best to represent us.
I second this!
Yes. Excellent work!