3 coaches dismissed

Three IU coaches were released Tuesday after the Athletic Department reviewed the progress of their respective sports teams.\nWomen's soccer coach Joe Kelley, men's swimming and diving coach Kris Kirchner and softball coach Diane Stephenson were dismissed because their teams were not achieving the success that is expected at IU, Director of Athletics Michael McNeely said.\n"After reviewing the progress of these sports teams, we have determined that we are not achieving the high level of success in these programs that we should and do expect," McNeely said in a press release. "Further, there are not sufficient factors to indicate that the current direction of these programs will yield higher levels of competitive success."\nHere's what the Athletic Department saw: Kelley led the women's team to an 8-7-2 record, 3-6-1 in the Big Ten, this fall; Kirchner finished the year with a 32nd place finish in the NCAA Championship, along with a 5-3 overall dual meet record and a 2-3 dual meet record in Big Ten competition; and Stephenson had a 13-31-1 record, 0-17 in the Big Ten.\n"We wish to thank Coach Kelley, Coach Kirchner and Coach Stephenson and their staffs for their dedication and commitment to the IU program," McNeely said. "These are very difficult decisions. We wish them the very best as all three have represented IU very well."\nPlayers on the women's soccer team said they weren't expecting the announcement once they heard the news. Kelley sent the team an e-mail Tuesday informing them about the dismissal, senior Stacy Peterson said.\n"I know we were all worried about his job, including himself and the staff. But this was a surprise. I thought it was too soon," Peterson said. "(The timing) was a surprise too. It's definitely not a good time to fire somebody. Those are his recruits coming in."\nRobin Barker, from Brownsburg, Ind.; Ryan Hanley, from St. Louis; Danielle Patton, from Cincinnati; and Kristen Zmijewski, from Aurora, Ill.; were signed by Kelley in February to play for the team next year. \nPatton said Kelley was a big reason she decided to play at IU. \n"I guess I liked his coaching philosophy," Patton said. "He seemed like a really good communicator. He made it seem like I'd be really comfortable."\nPatton also said a new coach will make her first year at IU a little harder. \n"I think it will make the transition a little more difficult, a little uncertain," she said. "I'm hoping that it won't affect me too much. I'm still really excited about my decision."\nZmijewski said she is not worried about playing without Kelley, because there were other reasons she chose IU. \n"I enjoyed him as a coach," Zmijewski said. "But the campus and my teammates were a big factor, too."\nPeterson said she would think differently if she were a new recruit, though. "I probably would not come here unless the assistant coach was staying and I knew people and it was a good fit," Peterson said.\nKelley coached the women's team for 12 years and led them to a Big Ten championship in 1996 and two NCAA tournament appearances in 1996 and 1998. Before his head coaching position, Kelley was an assistant coach and also played for the men's soccer program. Kelley won three national championships during his 14-year tenure under men's head coach Jerry Yeagley and was an All-American as a player at IU.\nKirchner was the coach of the men's swimming and diving team for the past 11 years. During that time, he led the team to nine top-five finishes at the Big Ten Championship, including a six-year streak from 1995 to 2000, and five top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championship. He was also named the 1991 Big Ten Coach of the Year.\nKirchner came to IU after coaching at the University of South Carolina for five years, where he led the team to five consecutive Metro Conference titles and five straight top-20 finishes in the NCAA Championship.\nStephenson had the longest career at IU, dating all the way back to 1977 when she came into the program a starting catcher. In her 24-year tenure, Stephenson has earned many honors. She was the program's first All-American as an athlete in 1981 and she was named the Big Ten and Mideast Region Coach of the Year in 1994. \nFrom 1984 to 1987, Stephenson was the assistant coach and helped lead the team to two appearances in the NCAA World Series, a ninth-place finish in 1983 and a third-place finish in 1986. The team had a 167-83 record in her four-year term as assistant and won the 1986 Big Ten title.\nIn 1988, Stephenson was named the head coach of the softball team and in 1994 won the Big Ten title again. The team concluded that season ranked No. 13 in the nation.\nThe search for new coaches will begin immediately as interested persons should submit resumes.