Five months after resigning as head coach at the University of Kentucky, Lars Jorgensen‘s name has appeared in the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s disciplinary database for unspecified allegations of misconduct.
Jorgensen was given temporary restrictions on Nov. 14 including “no unsupervised coaching/training, contact/communication limitation(s),” and “no contact directive(s).”
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SwimSwam made an open records request for any documents related to investigations into Jorgensen earlier this year. Kentucky’s response revealed details about his previous NCAA compliance rules violations last year that resulted in a weeklong suspension, but no insight into this year’s investigation that resulted in his paid leave on May 1. One week after SwimSwam reported on that paid leave in June, Jorgensen resigned following more than a decade in Lexington.
Kentucky reached a $75,000 settlement with Jorgensen in their separation agreement, significantly less than the $402,500 left on his contract through the 2024-25 season. His legal counsel told SwimSwam on Sunday that the allegations that landed him in SafeSport’s disciplinary database are “completely baseless.”
“[Jorgensen] did absolutely nothing wrong,” said Greg Anderson of AndersonGlenn LLP, a former Duke swimmer who has represented USA Swimming in the past. “We conducted an in-depth investigation. If you look at our history of representing the top coaches in the country, before we take a case, we will do our own internal investigation, which we did here.
“We have a settlement with the University, which I’m hoping whatever is going on right now is not breaching that settlement,” Anderson added. “I do not believe that continuing on with this investigation is doing any good for anyone. I think when the facts come out here, there’s going to be egg on a lot of people’s faces — and it’s not going to be me and my client. I found some of the actions really unfortunate here, and not by [Jorgensen].”
Before Jorgensen arrived at Kentucky in 2013, he coached at the University of Toledo from 2004-10. In 2014, a former Toledo softball coach accused Jorgensen of having a long-term romance with a swimmer, hiring her as an assistant coach, and ultimately promoting her to head coach in a Title IX lawsuit where he was one of three examples of male head coaches and administrators who “committed much more egregious offenses” without being fired.
Former Princeton head coach Bret Lundgaard was hired as Jorgensen’s replacement in July.
This is probably his Toledo years FINALLY catching up to him. USA swimming’s a little slow
“His legal counsel told SwimSwam that the allegations are completely baseless” and “Lars did absolutely nothing wrong”. Well, there we have it. Case closed. Because paid advocates / lawyers are always objective and truthful.
Come on.
I think we should all love and pay homage to Lars Jorgensen. After all, he did the unthinkable and led the women to an SEC team title. Drop the Safesport BS & build him a statue next to the pool entrance! He didn’t do anything wrong!
You can be both 1) A coach who led a team to a championship and 2) a POS
These are not exclusive things
What this guy said, also being 1 does not excuse 2
Would love to know what happened. Did he throw a kick board at a kid for goofing off (if so, I’d send my kid to swim for him) or was he being a creeper (no go on that one)
Fired (option to resign) at a D1 SEC school and a follow up with safesport…for a kickboard and a goof off episode? Did you say creeper? According to his 4th fastest 200 freestyler in 1978 lawyer neither could possibly be the issue for Saint Jorgensen. Nothing to see here. Just a misunderstanding. Carry on everyone.
Kipp kicked bottle and is a pariah in sport now….
Everything else aside, kind of a cool connection that his lawyer was the captain of Duke’s team back in the day. Nice to see swimmers making it out in the wild
And you gotta love the confidence of a lawyer that just stepped on the Lars landmine. Expensive days ahead. Greg’s getting PAID!
20 years ago a head coach of another SEC team was referring to an attractive female teammate. “I’ve got 40% scholarship in each cheek!”
What did he do
He was publicly supported by his current and former swimmers when he was suspended and none of them came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior. Lars is a good coach and person.
Those former swimmers include Riley Gaines. Not sure how much stock I’d put into her word
Bet they’re dating 😂
SafeSport seems to think otherwise.
Same Restrictions as Trenton, but he continued on and represented Team USA International while on the SafeSport List… Double Standard.
There is no standard and no comparison to speak of. When the truth comes out he will be the standard. Buckle up!
If you are speaking of the gymnastic coach. He is permanently ineligible to coach.
Seems like you be siding with the wrong person here.
Very odd nobody is speaking against him
Even more odd that NONE, not 1 of his staunch hardcore supporters logs on here with their given name to publicly side with him and fight til the end.
There were numerous comments in the past several articles with personal stories from swimmers. As for publicly supported, it would seem that those posts are gone now.