Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has publicly called for San Jose State University (SJSU) to terminate volleyball coach Todd Kress. Her comments follow a Fox News Digital report detailing a letter sent to the university in fall 2024, which contains allegations of misconduct against Kress by a former player.
Navratilova re-shared a post by Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead, criticizing the coach and the university’s handling of the situation. "Fire his a--!" Navratilova wrote on X. In a separate post, she stated, "This is truly sickening… this coach should have been fired yesterday!"
The allegations stem from a letter sent to the SJSU athletic department in October 2024 by a former player from Kress's tenure at Fairfield University in 1998. The letter, originally sent to Fairfield University, details an alleged incident in a hotel room after a 1998 NCAA Tournament game. The former player claims Kress, who was reportedly intoxicated, smeared caramel on her face, forcibly threw her onto a bed, and threatened to turn on a shower while holding her down.
She further alleged that teammates had been drinking with Kress underage and stated she did not report the incident at the time due to fear of losing her scholarship and jeopardizing her teammates' scholarships.
Emails independently verified by Fox News Digital show that SJSU officials acknowledged receipt of the allegations, thanked the former player for coming forward, and apologized for her experiences. Despite this acknowledgment, Kress was not suspended and has continued in his role as head coach of the women's volleyball team. SJSU's public records office denied a formal request for copies of the complaint letter and subsequent university correspondence, citing privacy exemptions.
Fox News Digital reached out to SJSU and Kress for comment on Navratilova and Hogshead's statements. As of publication, neither Kress nor San Jose State University officials have responded to requests for comment. Fairfield University stated it does not comment on personnel matters.