Idaho swim and dive coach Jim Southerland was served an interim suspension February 18 by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and USA Diving amid allegations of an improper sexual relationship with a female diver in 2010, according to USA Today.
Southerland joined the coaching staff in 2015.
Jim Southerland
Six days after being suspended, Southerland won co-diving coach of the year in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
The SafeSport suspension is not enforceable at Idaho or in the WAC. However, Southerland was placed on paid leave from Idaho April 13, two days after Idaho was notified of his suspension by USA Diving.
According to the report, Southerland engaged in the misconduct while in Seattle. Southerland joined the Vandal staff five years later.
The Idaho swim and dive Twitter account tweeted a congratulatory note about Southerland’s coaching honor Feb. 24, six days after
Southerland’s leave comes in the middle of Rob Spear’s paid administrative leave because of the mishandling of a sexual assault in 2013.
Hailey Stewart and Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected]
Original USA Today Article — https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2018/05/25/idaho-coach-jim-southerland-suspended-sexual-misconduct-allegation/641136002/