Watson to Postpone Decision on Munro

After two hours of separate hearings with six junior members of the varsity soccer team and coach Bruce Munro, the Faculty Committee on Athletics decided to meet again early next week.

Robert B. Watson, director of Athletics, said last night that he will make a final decision concerning next year's varsity soccer coach at the conclusion of next week's meeting.

Watson said that the Faculty Committee now has all the information it needs to make a recommendation on the matter. But because three varsity coaches were waiting to meet with the committee after its soccer hearings. Watson decided to delay discussions until another meeting.

Convincing

"Both the players and Munro were give adequate time for a fair hearing." Watson said. "The decision is mine, but I am using the Faculty Committee as a sounding board. I tentatively had decided before the meeting to retain Munro, but if the players convinced the Faculty and the Faculty Committee convinces me. I could change my mind."

Players Pleased

The soccer players were generally pleased with the reception of the committee. "We were able to present our case very well." captain Charlie Thomas said. "They asked very probing questions that indicated their interest and their involvement. The issues are absolutely clear now."

Munro could not be reached for comment last night.

One of the central issues in the questioning period was the importance of the personal disagreements between Munro and last year's captain Solomon Gomez.

"The Faculty wanted to know if this personal problem had caused our unhappiness." Thomas said. "The one big question was whether things would be all right next year without Gomez."

"But we pointed out that the personal feud was a symptom, not a cause. We acknowledged the personal problem, but Munro should never have let it affect his running of the entire team. Will every player suffer against next year if there is one 'Gomez' on the team?" Thomas said.

The players were also questioned about Munro's successful relations with the lacrosse team. "We could only answer by documenting our own disappointment in the soccer season," Thomas said.

Junior Chris Wilmot also felt the meeting had expanded the issues beyond that of a personal disagreement. "The fact that we came before the Faculty Committee indicated that we were very unhappy." he said. "The point I emphasized was that dissent had been brewing for three or four years."

"Rather than seeing Gomez as a cause of the problems. I think he's a good indication of the product of three years of tension," Wilmot said.

Although one of Thomas's major criticisms of Munro was his lack of technical ability to coach soccer, the Faculty Committee did not question that point. "The Faculty are more interested in Harvard's angle on the dispute rather than a purely athletic approach." Wilmot said.