East Tennessee men's basketball players convinced their coach resigned because of kneeling controversy

Several East Tennessee State men's basketball players say they are convinced the resignation of their coach this week was because he supported their silent protest of racial inequality before games this season.

Jason Shay, hired as the Buccaneers' head coach last year after five years as an assistant, had just finished a 13-12 season and had two years left on a contract that paid him at least $300,000 annually, including incentives. In a statement released by the university, Shay said he had "decided it is in the best interest of myself, my family and the ETSU men's basketball program to no longer continue as the head basketball coach."

"This past year has been extremely challenging for me in many different ways," he said. "It is the right time for a new challenge and an opportunity to reset my personal and professional goals."

Shay had been in the eye of the storm in Tennessee since his players protested during the national anthem. At the start of the season, the team members said they planned to kneel during the anthem and Shay promised to support them, according to Kevin Brown, ETSU's sports information director.

School officials, including president Brian Noland, did not respond to calls from ESPN, and Shay declined further comment when contacted via text.

Athletic director Scott Carter, who did not return calls from ESPN, issued a statement Thursday saying the resignation was unrelated to the controversy.

"ETSU did not fire Coach Shay nor force Coach Shay to resign," the statement said. "As outlined in the terms of the separation agreement, in Coach Shay's statement and in my previous statement, Coach Shay decided to resign."

But Shay's players are convinced he would still be head coach if he hadn't supported them.

"I personally feel like him resigning is crazy," Truth Harris, a freshman point guard, told ESPN in a telephone interview. "It shows a lot of what is going on in this town, and in this country right now."

"All this about us kneeling, and then Coach Shay supporting us through all of that. People should want a coach that stands behind the players through anything," ETSU senior guard Jordan Coffin said in a video retweeted by Shay's college-age daughter, Peija Shay. "For that to be a part in why he has to resign, then I don't want no part of that."

Senior guard David Sloan also tweeted his support for his former coach: "thank you for sticking with us though this weird year," he wrote. "if nobody else does, I got love for you and thankful to part of your first team as a head coach!!"