More than a week after rumors surfaced that men's basketball coach Ronny Thompson wanted to quit, Thompson has yet to make a statement about his desire to remain at Ball State University.
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said Wednesday he has been communicating with Thompson via e-mail in attempts to meet media requests for an interview.
"We're still trying to work on getting an interview," Collins said.
President Jo Ann Gora said Wednesday that, as far as she knows, Thompson is busy on a recruiting trip and plans to remain at Ball State. Collins said last week that the basketball program is "moving full speed ahead" with Thompson slated to coach the team in the upcoming season.
Speculation that Thompson wants to leave Ball State started after racist notes were found in the men's basketball office June 24. University officials held a press conference in which Collins, counseling psychologist Charlene Alexander, and Tony Proudfoot, vice president of Communication and Marketing, discussed the incident. Thompson did not attend the press conference, and Proudfoot said Thompson was on vacation at the time.
Since returning to work this week, Thompson has not given a public comment on either the notes or the rumors that he wants to leave the program. Repeated phone calls to Thompson's cell phone and attempts to reach him through Collins have not yielded a definitive statement from the coach on his future.
The athletics department prefers setting up an interview instead of releasing a statement through its public relations arm that would outline Thompson's intentions to stay put, Collins said.
Thompson's secretary said Wednesday he is still out recruiting and is expected back after the end of the week. She said the recruiting schedule only indicates when coaches are supposed to be on the road, not the specific places where the coaches are recruiting.
According to a post on Hoyatalk.com, a Georgetown athletics fan Web site, Thompson was spotted at a Kenner League game Sunday in Washington, D.C. The Kenner League is a primary recruiting league for Georgetown University, where Thompson's brother, John Thompson III, coaches. The league hosts the top high school and college prospects in the D.C. area.
The Thompson family was not home Wednesday around 7 p.m. There were two FedEx package notes on their door, which were dated Tuesday at 2 p.m. and Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. respectively. Blinds were drawn in the front windows and the family's name was not on the mailbox.
Chris Ames, who was a senior guard on last year's team, said he last talked to Thompson three weeks ago. Ames said he heard about the racist notes that were found in the men's basketball offices. However, he said he had not heard the rumors that Thompson wanted to leave the Cardinals' program.
"I haven't heard anything about him wanting to leave Ball State," Ames said. "I found out that some racial things went down. But I've been trying not to get personally involved since I'm not here anymore."
Senior guard Peyton Stovall declined to comment.
Director of Public Safety Gene Burton said campus police have made "some progress" in the investigation to find who left the notes in the men's basketball office but would not reveal any details.
"I don't know that we've labeled anyone a suspect," he said.
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