Mac Engel: Ex-TCU golf coach never wanted to leave, which is why he's suing the school

“Donati assumed that just because I was 68 that I could no longer do my job — nothing could be further from the truth,” Montigel said in a statement provided by his attorney. “It’s not easy to sue a school you love, but I want to shine a light on age discrimination and retaliation in TCU’s athletic department.”

Montigel worked this past season at the University of California-Davis as its associate men’s golf coach.

This lawsuit reflects a growing problem in our work force; a sector of employees who can retire, but don’t want to. A sector of employees who are old enough to retire, but can’t because of money. A sector of employers who desperately want those people to leave.

“One goal of this lawsuit is to effect meaningful change in TCU’s athletic department,” Dunn said in a statement. “With people living longer and financially needing to keep working, age discrimination cases are more prevalent.”

Near the end of his tenure at TCU, Montigel’s status had become a point of quiet contention among a small number of TCU athletics supporters, including a few of his former players.

They wanted a coach who would not rely so heavily on players from overseas, which has become a common route for nearly all of the top NCAA Division I Olympic sport programs. For instance, the TCU men’s tennis team that recently won the NCAA national title featured a roster of 10 players, seven are from overseas.

Montigel was frustrated at the continued state of TCU’s practice facilities; the TCU players, men and women, use a variety of courses all over town, including Colonial Country Club, Shady Oak Country Club, etc. They rotate depending on day of the week, and availability.

Nearly all of the top major programs in the country have their own designated practice facility; it’s the cost of doing business in the insane game of major college sports.

Shortly after it was announced that Montigel was out, former TCU standout women’s player Angela Stanford publicly expressed frustration over the decision. “If you want to get better than Bill Montigel, who are you going to get?” she said.

Montigel was named the 2023 Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year, among a long list of career achievements. Under Montigel, TCU made 32 consecutive NCAA regional appearances, and won eight conference titles.

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