Chris Doyle has been accused of bullying and discrimination by a number of former Iowa players.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and embattled strength coach Chris Doyle parted ways Friday night, a few hours after a prominent diversity group assailed the team and called the recent hiring “simply unacceptable.” Coach Urban Meyer and General Manager Trent Baalke said Doyle resigned and they accepted. “Chris did not want to be a distraction to what we are building in Jacksonville,” Meyer and Baalke said in a statement. “We are responsible for all aspects of our program and, in retrospect, should have given greater consideration to how his appointment may have affected all involved. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his career.” The team initially attributed the statement to Meyer, but added Baalke’s name Saturday and said it was an oversight. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, whose mission is to increase diversity in the NFL, criticized Jacksonville’s leadership, specifically Meyer, and said racist allegations at Iowa should have disqualified Doyle as a coaching candidate. Iowa agreed to pay Doyle $1.1 million in a resignation agreement last June after more than a dozen former players said he bullied and discriminated against them. Doyle denied the allegations. An investigation by an outside law firm later found that the program’s rules “perpetuated racial and culture biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity,” and allowed coaches to demean players without consequence. The 33-year-old has an opportunity as a left-handed bat in a primarily right-handed lineup. The Yankees’ outfield features switch-hitter center fielder Aaron Hicks and right-handed-hitting right fielder Aaron Judge. Clint Frazier, another right-handed hitter, is the top candidate for left field, with Michael Tauchman and Tyler Wade, both left-handed hitters, also contenders but more likely to spend time as backups. • Pitchers Rich Hill and Collin McHugh have agreed to one-year contracts with the Tampa Bay Rays, a person familiar with the deals told The Associated Press. Hill, a 40-year-old left-hander who has pitched for nine others teams over portions of 16 major league seasons, agreed to a deal worth $2.
