Concordia fires hockey coach after incident at a camp

FARGO, N.D. - Concordia officials have fired head women's hockey coach Corey "Ace" Gregg after learning of an incident that took place last week at a hockey camp in Mankato, Minn.

Gregg was coaching at a Minnesota Hockey select camp for 15-year-old girls and was dismissed for "inappropriate behavior," said Barry Ford, the vice president of hockey operations for Minnesota Hockey.

Ford said the incident involved Gregg and another adult, a female counselor at the camp. Ford said he would not discuss specifics, but said the incident took place late in the evening on June 15.

"In no way any of our minors were affected by this," Ford said. "We removed him (Gregg), once the investigation was done, from the camp and he left immediately."

Concordia athletic director Larry Papenfuss said the school first learned on Monday morning that Gregg had been dismissed from the camp. Papenfuss said the decision to terminate Gregg's employment was made at the end of the business day Monday.

A phone message left with Gregg on Tuesday was not returned.

Papenfuss would not discuss details, but said the school reviewed the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"We all make mistakes and we all suffer consequences from poor choices, but you never like to see it happen among people that you've gotten to know and become close with, but we've got an obligation to look out for the best interest of our student-athletes and the reputation of our program," Papenfuss said. "It was on those grounds that the decision was made."

Ford said Minnesota State Mankato campus security and the City of Mankato Police Department investigated the incident, but the female involved didn't want to press charges.

"We have a zero tolerance policy and to protect the kids that are involved we do background checks before these people get to these camps," Ford said.

Gregg recently completed his fourth season as head women's hockey coach at Concordia.

Prior to that, Gregg was the head girls varsity hockey coach at Fargo South. He was also a coach for the North Dakota State men's club hockey team.

Cobbers assistant coach Joe Vannett will take over coaching duties until a new head coach is named.

Papenfuss hasn't decided on a timetable to name a new coach.

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.