The Hattiesburg American has broken a story that shrouds USM Women's Basketball Coach Joye Lee-McNelis in controversy.  On Thursday she dismissed assistant coach Troy Howell, an African-American, from her staff, saying that everyone involved in the [USM women's basketball] program must share her passion for Southern Miss.

Friday, Howell called the HA and told Daimon Eklund, "Lack of passion, that's a bunch of c---."  Howell tells Eklund he was never given a specific reason for his dismissal.  Howell told Eklund that Lee-McNelis did not treat her staff members equally.  

One story Howell recounted to Eklund involved this season's team banquet.  He was told attendance was mandatory for the coaches, so he drove to H'burg from Hernando (his wife coaches at Hernando) for the affair.  But, he tells Eklund, assistant Brooks Donald wasn't at the meeting, but was instead with friends on a boat.

Eklund contacted Lee-McNelis yesterday with charges from Howell, but JL-M declined to comment.  Howell told Eklund that his commitment to the program should not be questioned.  "She (Lee-McNelis) makes six figures.  By the time you count up the hours I worked, I don't even make minimum wage," Howell told Eklund.

Howell also informed Eklund that his first duty as an assistant was to tear up the carpet and paint the locker room.  None of the other assistants helped him.  Howell says his dream job --- coaching in Division I --- has turned into a nightmare.

Eklund's report goes further.  Dianca Jones, and African-American, who was recently dismissed from the team by Lee-McNelis, also called Eklund this week.  She claims she was never told why she was dismissed, although it was reported that she violated team rules.

Jones tells Eklund that her dismissal came out of the blue, and that Lee-McNelis told her simply that she (L-M) didn't like the was Jones "handled certain situtations..."  Jones claims that L-M told her (Jones) throughout the year that she (Jones) was the future of the team.  Lee-McNelis also has little to say to Eklund about Jones dismissal.

Jones said Lee-McNelis would use threats of dismissal to motivate play (throughout the year).  She said team rules/punishments were not applied consistently for all players.

Jones, who has 2 years of eligibility remaining, has talked to national champion Baylor and Final 4 participant LSU about transferring.  But, she tells Eklund that Lee-McNelis is undermining her attempts to transfer to either of these locations.

Jones tells Eklund that whe she approached Lee-McNelis about going to either Baylor or LSU to "up" her game, JL-M "laughed in [her] face."

Kudos to DE for breaking this one.  What's up?  See our recent report "Thames Pressure" for a better understanding.  This board is devoted mainly to academics.  What we're now seeing is the destructiveness of the Thames' Plantation on the sports side.  A string of possibly bad coaching hires all around?  Maybe.  Is this mess getting to even Bower?  Possibly.  All we can do is keep our eyelids peeled.