Attorneys for former Wildcats football coach Rich Rodriguez have released a copy of "The Hideaway Book," which Rodriguez's former assistant referenced in a December sexual harassment claim.
While Melissa Wilhelmsen's claim described the book as a tool used to establish secrecy with Rodriguez's circle and wield control over the group, the book produced by Rodriguez's attorneys in their response to the claim paints a very different picture.
Copies of the "Hideaway Book" from 2012 and 2015 obtained by the Star details the football program's objectives, strategies for the season and job duties for every staff member and player.
The "Objectives of Hideaway," listed in the 2015 book, are making sure every person in the program understands their responsibility and what they'll be accountable for, to ensure "everyone is on the 'same page' on all aspects of the program" and to discuss problems and solutions to better the program.
Expectations of the staff are detailed a few pages later under sections titled, "loyalty," "no staff secrets out of the office," "conduct," "staff decisions" and "demand on players."
In a section called "wives," the book explains that staff members' wives are "one of the most important assets to a coach" and "often set your temperament and focus."
"Educate her and control her talk. She must understand our program, jobs, town and state," the book says. "Be careful what you say to them. Make sure they are loyal to the staff and the program."
The book also details off and on-field discipline, saying that the coaching staff will ensure that athletes not embarrass the school, themselves of their families with any "improper conduct."
In the 2012 "Hideaway Book," under a section about staff conduct, Rodriguez tells coaches it's good to be involved in church, and although it's voluntary, it sets a good example for the players.
Wilhelmsen's claim says that the secretive environment created by the book led way to people saying things to the effect of "Title IX doesn't exist in our office," but the a search of the 2012 and 2015 books showed that the words "Title IX" didn't appear in either book.
Wilhelmsen's attorney, Augustine Jimenez, has not responded to the Star's request for comment on the discrepancies presented by the different descriptions of the book's purpose and contents.
