Brother of Oilers' Woodcroft fired for sending "inappropriate text messages" to student
The brother of Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft has been fired from the University of Vermont’s head coaching position due to sending inappropriate text messages to a student.
Todd Woodcroft recently wrapped up his third season as the head coach for the University of Vermont. He has reportedly been under investigation for the incident since March 16 and was fired yesterday as a result of the findings.
“The University of Vermont Athletic Department has high expectations for the conduct of our coaches and all involved with our department,” the director of athletics, Jeff Schulman, released in a statement.
“After reviewing the findings of an investigation conducted by UVM’s Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity that was completed this week, it is clear that Coach Woodcroft failed to meet those expectations. The specific conduct leading to the investigation involved inappropriate text messages with a UVM student on multiple occasions that failed to maintain professional boundaries.”
“Earlier today, I met with the Men’s Hockey team to inform them of my decision and to introduce Steve Wielder as interim head coach for the 2023-24 season. The team and I have tremendous confidence in Coach Wielder’s ability to successfully lead our program. He has played a major role in the recruitment and development of our current players and will step into this important role with the full support of our team and his Athletic Department colleagues.”
During the investigation, Woodcroft was asked to work from home and is said to have honoured those requests without any issues. Despite his compliance during the investigation, however, his attorney, Andrew Miltenberg, released a statement shortly after his firing which claimed his client’s innocence.
“We vehemently disagree with the process and the findings of a proceeding that lacked fundamental fairness and due process,” Miltenberg said. “We strongly believe the University’s decision was contrary to the facts and the law. We intend to pursue justice for Mr. Woodcroft, who has been an outstanding coach and community advocate for over two decades.”
Woodcroft, 50, served as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets for four seasons before earning the head coaching role at the University of Vermont. He has also spent time in various roles with the Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, and Calgary Flames.
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