Haley Janicek, a former Vandal volleyball player and Idaho Hall of Famer, recalled the first time she heard the news of Chris Gonzalez’s hiring.
It was at the Vandal Scholarship Gala in the spring of 2022. Long-time Head Coach Debbie Buchanan, Janicek’s very coach, would be replaced with Chris Gonzalez, Athletic Director Terry Gawlik told her.
Why did she recognize that name, Janicek thought. Why does it sound so familiar? Was it because Gonzalez had national, international, and Olympic volleyball experience? Was it because his accolades reverberated throughout the national volleyball community? No. Janicek remembered she had heard horror stories about Gonzalez.
After the gala, Janicek reached out to her former teammate, Meredith Rice. Rice is deeply connected with the high school and collegiate volleyball world. She is currently the Club Director and Recruiting Coordinator at Academy Volleyball Cleveland, a top 15 club in the country, according to Rice.
When Janicek texted Rice that Gonzalez was replacing their old coach, her response read, “No. Please, this can’t be true.”
UI Athletics did not make the right calls. They did not make enough calls. They did not validate his resume, Rice thought.
Her experience with elite athletes and their journeys toward collegiate careers brought her into direct contact with Gonzalez. Rice had face-to-face experiences with Gonzalez. She knew the rumors that surrounded him. She knew what reputation he had. If even she knew this, how did Gonzalez pass rounds of interviews and reference checks at the University of Idaho, Rice asked herself.
Gonzalez coached at Mintonette Sports, a volleyball club based out of Columbus, Ohio. AVC and Mintonette would consistently compete at the same tournaments. Rice would coach directly against Gonzalez.
“Chris worked for our competitor. We would coach against each other. We worked shoulder to shoulder,” Rice said. “I have full circle experience being his peer.”
Rice said that Chris left Mintonette Sports in 2017 for a few months to coach at American University, a private DI school in Washington D.C. Four or five months into his coaching stint in the nation’s capital, Gonzalez left and returned to Mintonette.
“He left one job incomplete to then leave another job incomplete,” Rice said.
She said that this back-and-forth period of his career should have been a red flag for future universities. She said that the Head Coach of American University at the time Gonzalez was there, Barry Goldberg, should have been called. Rice, who spoke with Goldberg about Gonzalez’s Idaho hiring, confirmed that he was not called.
Rice said Goldberg was alive during Gonzalez’s hiring process but has since passed.
Rice has had many players from AVC play at Ohio State University, while Gonzalez was a volunteer assistant for the team in 2016.
“Everyone will tell you he is just very pretentious. He had a belittling relationship with peers and players at Ohio State,” Rice said. “He made comments about the physique of female coaches, creepy comments. He crossed the line.”
The players who played for both Gonzalez and Rice said Gonzalez made them “feel small,” according to Rice.
Rice attended the Triple Crown volleyball tournament in Kansas City on Feb. 17-19. The Ohio State Head Coach Geoff Carlston, who Gonzalez worked under, was also at the tournament. He reportedly told dozens of coaches at the tournament that he was never called about Gonzalez, according to Rice. Carlston said he would not have recommended Gonzalez, Rice said.
Gawlik reportedly called Kelly Sheffield, the Wisconsin volleyball Head Coach, when hiring Gonzalez, Rice said. Sheffield, who has had massive success at Wisconsin, recommended Gonzalez.
“Kelly is successful. I understand that his recommendation carries weight. But not enough people were called,” Rice said.
Gawlik worked with Sheffield at Wisconsin during her 14-year career as the university’s designated senior woman administrator, a job in which Gawlik “… oversaw the department’s implementation and compliance with policies and procedures regarding Title IX, gender equity, diversity and sexual assault and violence training,” according to her University of Idaho biography.
Rice referred to Gawlik’s time at Wisconsin for making the Vandal volleyball players’ claims even more worrisome.
“The girls went to ask for basic needs. To shut them down creates a systemic problem of shame and suck it up,” Rice said. “It’s way worse that it was a woman in a male-dominated profession. She (Gawlik), as a woman, should know how hard it is to speak up against a man.”
“I am so past the Chris stuff. Terry is the one that keeps me up at night. Chris and Terry clearly have a good relationship. It’s Chris and Terry on one team. She didn’t vet him during the hiring process,” Rice said.
Rice also brought up Gonzalez’s time at Long Beach State University. He was an assistant coach in 1998 when the team completed a perfect 36-0 season, winning the first-ever undefeated NCAA National Championship. However, Rice said Long Beach State’s Head Coach Brian Gimmillaro, was known for making his players weigh in before practices.
“There’s clear rules in the NCAA now that you can’t do that. But these were the kind of coaches Chris worked for,” Rice said.
“A coach can be the most important person in a young athlete’s life,” Janicek said.
Janicek was the Head Coach at Austin Peay State University, a DI School in Tennessee, from 2009 to 2011. She knows first-hand the impact a coach can have on the future of an athlete.
“Not a program in history has been successful where a coach constantly belittles and beats down players,” Janicek said. “Success happens when you have trust and respect between coaches and players. It’s obvious that trust was never built between Chris Gonzalez and the players. Chris wants respect but does not want to offer any respect.”
Janicek went on to say that the problem reaches further than Gonzalez. The problem wasn’t his alleged physical and emotional bullying. It wasn’t just his reported intimidation tactics.
The problem has grown deep roots in the Idaho Athletic Department, Janicek said. She referred to the report’s timeline. Players approached UI administration, including Gawlik, in November 2022. The claims are only reaching the light of day in November 2023. An investigation is being conducted more than a year after the initial claims of abuse.
“So many people failed these kids,” Janicek said. “There are so many people in the athletic department that let these women down. You would think that people in power would use their voices on their (the players) behalf.”
Janicek said that the current solution is to put Gonzalez on leave immediately.
“Yes, I want him fired. But he should be on leave right now. You shouldn’t have to be faced with your abuser. This is the university slapping them (the players) a second time,” Janicek said.
It’s hard to fathom the memories these players are taking from their time at as a Vandal, Janicek said. She referred to her time at Idaho as some of the fondest, healing moments of her life. Janicek had recently lost her brother, as he was serving in Iraq, before moving from California to Idaho. She was in the depths of grief when her journey as a Vandal started. She directly credited her experience at UI for her healing.
“I am indebted to the university. It was a funnel for healthy proper grieving,” Janicek said. “I had the absolute greatest experience at Idaho, and I credit the environment on the volleyball team.”
However, current players won’t be saying the same in years to come, according to Janicek. Players under the coaching of Gonzalez will remember falling victim to and reporting on alleged abuse. They will remember their voices being quieted, their claims being ignored, Janicek said.
Janicek and dozens of other former Vandals have been working hand in hand with current players to seek justice. Janicek worked with other Vandals to write a letter sent to UI President Scott Green about the claims and subsequent investigation (See the full letter on page 13).
“Everyone has a voice. It is the one thing you can control. Use your voice,” Janicek said. “What’s happening isn’t right. So, talk about it.”
Rice said what she thinks were incomplete background checks on Gonzalez’s career are coming back to haunt the volleyball program.
“It’s such an epic failure,” Rice said.
Joanna Hayes can be reached at [email protected]