Former Yale hockey coach alleges ‘toxic environment’ under athletic coach Victoria Chun, letter shows
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EXCLUSIVE: A letter signed by former Yale ice hockey coach Keith Allain to Yale President Maurine McInnis alleged that current Yale athletic director Victoria Chun has created a “toxic environment” for the university’s sports teams.
In the letter, Allain claimed that other Yale coaches urged him to speak out against Chun to McInnis after his retirement.
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Yale coach Keith Allain on the bench during the game against Cornell at Boardwalk Hall. Atlantic City, New Jersey 03/19/2011 (Lou Capozzola/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
“My name is Keith Allain, I have just retired after 19 years as a men’s hockey coach, and I am writing to you at the urging of several head coaches in our Athletics Department. I was told that you were seeking feedback from some coaches regarding the extension of our athletic director’s contract, and they are concerned that with the culture of fear that permeates the athletics department, they will not receive honest feedback,” the letter began.
Allain went on to call Chun the “worst leader” he has ever met and alleges that she has made it a priority to “silence any dissent.”
“As a Yale alumnus and someone who has great affection for our University and the role of athletics within the greater Yale community, I felt compelled to write to you as requested by my former colleagues. Vicky Chun is the absolute worst leader I have ever met. She is dishonest, self-centered, and unapproachable. Vicky’s singular talent is self-promotion and she has created a toxic environment within the department where she is isolated by a group of administrators whose primary job appears to be to silence any dissent,” the letter continues.
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Coach Keith Allain of the Yale Bulldogs stands behind the bench during a game against the Boston University Terriers during NCAA hockey at Agganis Arena on December 13, 2016, in Boston, Massachusetts. The Terriers won 5-2. (Richard T. Gagnon/Getty Images)
“I know this evaluation seems harsh and I am willing to provide details if you are interested in learning more about my experience and how Vicky’s lack of leadership affects my program. As a point of reference, our team’s record before Vicky was 220 wins, 144 losses, 39 ties, with Vicky’s 62 wins, 110 losses and 15 ties. The responsibility for that record is mine, but we all know that organizational leadership or lack thereof takes a toll. impact”.
A source provided the letter to News Digital. Allain later confirmed to News Digital that he wrote the letter and sent it to McInnis in October, shortly after retiring after 19 years coaching Yale hockey. Allain declined to comment further.
News Digital reached out to the Yale president’s office and the athletic department for a response.
News Digital is currently reviewing additional claims and accusations.
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Head coach Keith Allain of the USA during practice before the 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship Group A match between the USA and Finland on December 26, 2010 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Allain, who played ice hockey at Yale from 1976 to 1980, took over as head coach in 2006, leading the program to the NCAA championship in 2013 and seven Ivy League championships during his tenure. He finished his tenure with a record of 282–254–54.
Chun, a former volleyball player and then head coach at Colgate University, took over as Yale Athletic Director in 2018 after serving in the same position at Colgate from 2012 to 2018.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to Title IX enforcement and in mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The News and ESPN.com.