Orlando Sentinel: JAY BERGMAN: BEYOND THE CONTROVERSY AT UCF

“Former UCF coach Jay Bergman was a father figure to many players, but others aren’t surprised by allegations of abuse.”

Jay Bergman is a gentle guru who nurtured the careers of countless baseball players, some friends and colleagues said.

And Jay Bergman is a menace known for verbally abusing athletes, some former players and staff members said.

These are the two faces of Bergman, UCF’s successful baseball coach whose storied career ended when he was fired May 1 amid allegations of sexual harassment.

UCF equipment manager Chris Rhyce said Bergman used a bat to simulate raping him in early March. The incident followed what Rhyce described as months of verbal abuse by the coach.

...Bergman’s reputation took another hit when Rhyce accused the coach of sexual harassment.

Rhyce told the university in a written complaint that he was held down on the field, fully clothed, by a baseball staff member before a March 7 game while the players watched. Bergman was said to have grabbed a bat and shoved it toward Rhyce’s buttocks, three sources told the Sentinel.