U of S v-ball coach loses job over recruitment of ex-Rattler

University plans ‘thorough review’ after player convicted of sexual assault in Medicine Hat joined Huskies’ program

The University of Saskatchewan has fired its head volleyball coach after a player now convicted of sexually assaulting a Medicine Hat College student was allowed to join their team for the 2017-18 season.

“We are launching a thorough review to examine our processes related to the screening and recruitment of student athletes, and the policies related to the conduct of our employees, to ensure that they live up to the values of Huskie Athletics and the University of Saskatchewan,” reads a University statement issued Thursday, after the charges and conviction were brought to their attention.

Matthew Alan Meyer of Prince Albert pled guilty on May 14 to sexually assaulting a passed-out female MHC student at a house party on Jan. 17, 2016 and photographing her during the assault. He was sentenced to two years in prison and three years probation.

At the time of the assault, he was a member of the MHC’s Rattlers volleyball team.

After charges were laid, he was granted bail and left MHC voluntarily.

Meyer’s statistics page on the U of S Huskies volleyball website shows that he accumulated stats in 18 U-Sports games this past season. The earliest game was Sept. 27, 2017; the latest game was Feb. 17 this year.

Huskie men’s volleyball coach Brian Gavlas knew about the charges Meyer faced in Medicine Hat.

“The situation raised significant concerns as to how the player was allowed to become a Huskie athlete,” reads the university’s statement, who has now removed Meyer from the team, and terminated Gavlas’s employment.

All Huskie athletes are expected to follow a code of conduct, the university stated, where their personal conduct reflects not only on themselves but also the athletics program and university.

“We also have high expectations of our leaders and expect them to be accountable in their roles.”

Reached by the Daily Herald on Tuesday afternoon prior to the announcement of his termination, Gavlas said he didn’t have any comment to make about Meyer’s guilty plea.

“I was aware of the charge, yes. I wasn’t aware of what was happening,” he said. “We had talked briefly about the situation. We didn’t go into a lot of detail.”

Gavlas also explained his decision process in allowing Meyer to join his team for this past season.

“When we discussed the possibility of being a part of our team and our program, we discussed certain aspects and certain expectations, and what might be best for him individually and what might be good for our team in regards to having him involved.

“It became a choice and decision that for his time during this past year it would be best for him to be supported and part of a passion and a sport that he enjoyed and a group of guys that could support him,” the coach said.

“Nowhere along the lines did we take anything that had happened in the past into account with his involvement with our team.”

Gavlas added that he’s known Meyer since he was a 16-year-old high school student at Prince Albert’s Carlton high school.

“He was involved with our prospects camps, he was involved with provincial teams; I’ve coached him.

“And he made a very bad choice and decision with his actions and what he did for one night. And it’s cost him dearly,” the Huskies coach said.

“It’s obviously cost the victim — please don’t get me wrong; I’m not being flippant about that situation, but I think people who are in my position have to do everything they can to give young adults and teenagers an opportunity to grow and develop and improve on their character and improve on their choices and improve on their lifestyles, whatever the case is.

“So anything that we can do to help support those people I think is pretty important.”

According to Gavlas’ coaching bio on the U of S Huskies’ website, he took over the school’s men’s volleyball program as head coach in 1992, replacing Tom Graham. He’s a member of the Saskatchewan Volleyball Association’s High Performance Committee, CIS Coaches Association and the Canadian Coaches Association.

He said nothing was normal “in regards to the situation or the practice or where (Meyer) was in his life. As I said, he was a student, he was taking classes, and he had the ability and the opportunity to be involved with our team and our program.

“From my perspective as a coach and as a father, I thought being involved with our team and our program would be best at this particular stage in his life,” he said.

Asked if he was worried about having someone accused of sexual assault join his team, he said, “I would be concerned about the perception that would be out there for sure.

“My major concern was for him individually as a young adult and what this mistake in his life is causing him or costing him, and what we could do to make sure that the path forward is the best possible path forward.”