Mankato Players Meant No Disrespect To Old Coach, Paragraph Taken Out Of Context (UPDATED: They'll Play For Hoffner))

((HT: KEYC-TV))

When you say something publicly, you can't take it back...

That's what the Minnesota-Mankato football team is facing right now after they went public with their desire that their old football coach who was their new head coach return to being their football coach after their old-old football coach who had his contract not renewed and came back after an arbitor's ruling took over as their new head coach...

They want Aaron Keen back as head coach and not the recently-reinstated Todd Hoffner...

Claiming their paragraph was "taken out of context" both sides met this morning on campus...

Here's the morning gathering after yesterday's statement
KEYC - Mankato News, Weather, Sports -

Short of not allowing for any kind of depth in their sentences or discussions between parties when the cameras were off yesterday, the HQ is unsure how that could be taken out of context...

As a collective unit, we’ve all agreed that we will stick together and show our support in having Aaron Keen as the head football coach at Minnesota State University, Mankato,” junior safety Samuel Thompson read from the statement. “We’ve all become outstanding community members, students and athletes, in the last year and a half since the removal of Todd Hoffner. Throughout this process, our voice has been silent. It is time our voice is heard. We want information, we want answers, because this is our team.”

What's the out of context part...???

Jus' axin...

PM UPDATE: The players met for two hours with the Athletic Director and Hoffner and they're now united in their support of Hoffner and will play for him and Keen...

MSU-Mankato State Football Players Don't Want Their Old Coach Back

((ht: startribune.com))

Just yesterday (Tuesday), we told you the story of former Minnesota State-Mankato coach Todd Hoffner, who was fired back in May of 2013 after school officials found videos of naked children, which turned out to be his own kids, on his school issued cellphone.

Hoffner took a job at nearby Minot State, but filed suit asking for his old job back. An arbitor awarded him that opportunity.

However, it appears Hoffner's old players at Mankato don't want him to return. Spring Practice was scheduled to begin Wednesday afternoon, but according to the St.Paul Star-Tribune, the players did not dress out and chose to read a statement.

The statement essentially said they want interim coach Aaron Keen back as their head coach.

Here's the statement in full:

"We want information. We want answers. We've decided not to practice because of a change-up in the coaching situation."

Read more from the Star Tribune RIGHT HERE

Needless to say this has already gotten messy. Hoffner, for all essential purposes was proven innocent and lost his job. But in Sports, it's not always so easy to come back after a year and pick up right where you left off.

And that's the problem facing Mankato's administrators face. It's not clear why the players don't want anything to do with Hoffner. That being said, the team has gone 24-2 since Hoffner was dismissed.

The question while really legal is this: How do you get rid of a coach who's gone 24-2 and replace him with the guy who was the coach before he was? Sure, there may be a beef of some sorts between the players and Hoffner, but ultimately, it's not their decision.

Or at least they need a compelling reason for rebelling.

We will follow this story and see how it plays out. More and more, college players are demanding a voice at the table when it comes to their coach. The question on the floor is this: Should they have the ability to do that or is it none of their business?

Here's the latest from our friends at KSTP-TV

Hoffner Wrongfully Terminated, Will Return To MN-Mankato

((HT: MyFoxTwinCities))

In August of 2012, Todd Hoffner was escorted off the practice field at Minnesota-Mankato and placed under arrest for having child pornography images on his school-issued cell phone.

Three months later, a judge dismissed the charges saying the videos were nothing more than images of his children playing in their house after a bath.

That didn't change Mankato's mind. The school suspended Hoffner for 20 days and then reassigned him to a desk job before firing him in May of 2013. He had been hired as the coach at Minot State, but after an arbitration, he will return to Mankato to coach his old school and old team.

Minot understands Hoffner's decision:

Here's the latest on Hoffner returning to Mankato
KMSP-TV

Mankato, obviously, didn't say a lot with the arbitor's decision, but they did put out a statement:

"We extend our apologies to Mr. Hoffner and deeply regret the difficulties he and his family have experienced.
"It is our sincere hope that all concerned can now find ways to move forward."

Moving forward may include a civil response by Hoffner, but that isn't know at present...

Mankato FB Coach Not Happy With 20-Day Suspension

((HT: KEYC-TV Mankato))

The head football coach of Minnesota-Mankato, Todd Hoffner, was cleared on child porn charges back on December 1st and is now having to fight a 20-day suspension delivered despite the decision.

The initial charges came from two videos that Hoffner recorded on his university cell phone of what he called "family moments" that were considered, by prosecutors, to be sexual in nature...

Here's the story at the time of the dimissal...
((HT: KARE-TV))

Hoffner has not been reinstated by the school as they maintain that there is an investigation still pending on another complaint. The 20-day suspension comes from what the school considers "improper use of a university cell phone."

Minnesota State head coach (Not Hayden Fox) busted for Child Porn

((ht: deadspin))

Todd Hoffner

It appears Minnesota State head football coach Todd Hoffner is in a LOT of trouble. Hoffner was escorted from the school's practice field this past Friday and booked in the Blue Earth County Jail earlier today.

The reason he was booked: Allegations of Child Pornography charges.

Yes, that is what the report says.

Minnesota State has placed Hoffner on administrative leave...for now.

Read the Mankato Free Press report on the incident RIGHT HERE

No, Hoffner is not indicted on these charges, but the fact he was booked indicates the Blue Earth County Sheriff certainly thinks there is something to it.

No word yet on who's taken over the D-II Mavericks, but it appears, at least on the surface, Hoffner isn't going to be on the sidelines anytime soon.

Well, we were going to post video from the TV Show "Coach", but those videos aren't embeddable.