WVU puts defensive coordinator Vic Koenning on leave over claims of inappropriate comments

West Virginia defensive coordinator Vic Koenning was placed on administrative leave Tuesday after sophomore safety Kerry Martin Jr. alleged he mistreated players and made inappropriate comments in their presence.

I’ve been contemplating about posting but we need a change in our program. pic.twitter.com/40hZYXjxib

— Kerry “KJ” Martin Jr.? (@KMartinJr11) June 23, 2020

“I’ve been contemplating about posting,” Martin wrote. “But we need a change in our program.”

In his tweet, Martin wrote that Koenning called him “retarded” earlier this month after he made a mistake in a team workout.

“I have family members who are mentally ill,” Martin wrote, “and for him to say that hurt me.”

Martin said he met with West Virginia coach Neal Brown about Koenning’s comments that, he said, also included inappropriate comments about religion, politics and the recent demonstrations on racism and police brutality.

West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons said in a statement released late Tuesday afternoon that he plans to conduct a “thorough investigation.”

“I want to thank Kerry Martin for having the courage to bring his concerns to light,” Lyons said. “We will not tolerate any form of racism, discrimination or bias on our campus, including our athletic programs.

”Coach Vic Koenning has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately, and the department will work with the appropriate parties to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations. This is serious, and we will act appropriately and in the best interests of our student-athletes.”

Brown released a statement Tuesday night, saying he is “sick about today’s events.” Brown said Martin had every night to express his concerns, but the first time he heard of the issue was via the player’s Twitter statement.

Brown said he spoke with all the parties involved as well as the defense as a unit and the team as a whole.

“I again emphasized to our team that our program culture will be one of acceptance, respect, tolerance, and positive relationships,” Brown said. “I stressed to our team and staff that we will be open and transparent throughout the University process.”

He said he will not comment further until the university’s investigation is complete.

“We will listen, learn and grow from this together, as a family, to become even more united,” Brown said.

Martin said many players are uncomfortable in Koenning’s presence.

“Coach Vic is not a bad person and he does mean well in many (different) aspects,” he wrote, “but his heinous actions toward us (overrules) the good things he has done and many of us are uncomfortable being around him.

“I didn’t want to bring negativity to the program but with everything going on, for him to still act this way and feel okay with saying what he said is not okay. Enough is enough.”

Among other allegations, Martin alleged that last season Koenning spoke in a position meeting “about President Trump and how he should ‘build the wall and keep Hispanics out of the country,’ and there’s a Hispanic in the meeting.”

Martin said Koenning pulled him aside “on multiple occasions” last season when he found out Martin had converted his religion. “He has also given me a book about how to find Christ,” Martin wrote, “and has even read me scriptures out of his Fellowship of Christian Athletes bible.”

Martin added that in a position meeting Monday he referenced rioting and protesting, claiming Koenning said, “if people did not want to get tear gassed or (pushed) back by the police then they shouldn’t be outside protesting.”

“I myself have dealt with mistreatment and racism while growing up in West Virginia,” wrote Martin, who is from Charleston. “But I never would’ve thought I’d deal with it while at a school I’m supposed to be able to call home.”

Koenning, 60, has been a college football coach since 1986 when he was a graduate assistant at Memphis. He also has coached at Wyoming (he was head coach there from 2000-02), Troy (twice), Clemson, Kansas State, Illinois and North Carolina. He came to West Virginia last year after serving as Brown’s defensive coordinator at Troy from 2015-18.

Martin played in all 12 games last season, with four starts, as a freshman. He finished as the sixth-leading tackler on the team, with 50 tackles, including 35 solos, 2½ for a loss and five pass breakups.