Penn State fires women's gymnastics coach; no reason given

Penn State fires women's gymnastics coach; no reason given

Published Feb. 23, 2017 7:34 p.m. ET

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) Penn State women's gymnastics coach has been fired.

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour says Jeff Thompson was fired on Thursday. Two assistants will take over interim head coaching duties while the university searches for a new coach.

A Penn State news release doesn't give a reason for the firing, calling it a personnel matter.

The Daily Collegian student-run newspaper and Harrisburg-based PennLive.com previously reported on accusations Thompson and his wife bullied athletes. Rachelle Thompson resigned from the program last year. The Thompsons haven't commented on the accusations.

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Barbour told PennLive last year she was confident the Thompsons ''care deeply about their athletes.''

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