To the editor:

It is with heavy hearts that Allen and I are leaving a community that we have both grown to love. We want to thank the kind people from across Kansas who have supported us, despite the fabricated, brutal media attacks on my husband’s character. Cowards hiding behind unsubstantiated “opinions” care little about how their “opinions” affect human lives.

I have read that Allen should have been politically dismissed months ago. No logical reasons have been reported, other than a basketball coach said it was “him or me!”

Allen’s report card as athletic director of the University of Kansas was impressive. The criteria a chancellor could have chosen to evaluate him on showed stellar accomplishments in:

• Diversity
• Academics
• Equity
• Finances
• Improved competition
• Improved accountability and service by all athletic staff

The chancellor never took the time to give Allen a written evaluation, something that could have documented improvements and guided a new administrator.

Other areas that Allen focused on were changes in football and baseball staffs, dramatic improvement in football attendance and Williams Fund growth.

Allen’s misfortune was that he trusted people to be honest. He elevated all senior staff to new positions of increased authority. Richard Konzem, in particular, used his new position in negative, rather than positive ways.

It seems the chancellor chose to have meetings with Roy, rather than to bring any hidden disagreements to the surface. Points of concern could have been worked out months ago in an ethical, professional fashion if all parties would have been privileged to discussions. Did Roy and the chancellor purposefully work behind the scenes with major donors instead of bringing perceived problems face to face with Allen?

Every concern and/or request that Roy brought to his athletic director’s attention was addressed in an earnest, timely fashion.

Allen was politically dismissed because of the perception that a choice had to be made: Allen or Roy. This may have been instigated by a hidden jealousy over the renewed focus/funding of the football program. Big donors and the chancellor had no choice: Al was dismissed and now Roy would stay.

Allen was condemned for his enthusiasm for people, especially students. He genuinely loved the Jayhawk student athletes and university students. He had words of encouragement for all athletes, not just the perceived stars. University students responded enthusiastically when he went into the crowds to interact with them. Allen also toured the state, enthusiastically reaching out to alumni and fans, always praising Jayhawk sports programs.

Attacks were made on Allen’s qualifications to lead an athletic department. He earned a Ph.D. in athletic administration from The Ohio State University in 1978, and has had a wonderfully successful life in athletics for 25 years. Most notably, the NCAA has selected him to review and certify the athletics programs at Utah State, Oregon State, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. Despite all of the frenzy with the media, he recently was contacted by the NCAA to review and certify the athletics program at the University of Notre Dame in January 2004.

I want to thank the excellent professors in the School of Education, especially Dr. Diane Nielsen. Their contributions to the prestige of this fine university are examples of what is most important to higher education.

I will be forever proud to be an alumnus of The University of Kansas.

Rock Chalk!

Sherry Bohl,

Lawrence