GROSSMAN RESIGNS AFTER SE LIFTS SUSPENSION; HEAD TRAINER STEPS DOWN IN WAKE OF DMSO CONTROVERSY

Southeast Missouri State University announced Monday that Dave Grossman, who was involved in a controversy and suspended over the use of DMSO, has resigned as head trainer for Southeast athletic teams.

The university said in a statement that, at the request of Grossman, the resignation was accepted in order that Grossman may accept an opportunity to participate as trainer for the United States Women's Freestyle Wrestling Team in its activities.

Those activities include an upcoming international tournament which is part of the process by which the sport is seeking to become a recognized Olympic event in the future.

Grossman has worked as a trainer for the U.S. women's wrestling team in the past.

The statement also said that Grossman's suspension was lifted on Thursday as a result of the university's ongoing process and he resumed his duties as head trainer at that time.

Asked why the university made no public announcement regarding the lifting of Grossman's suspension last week, Southeast assistant to the president Art Wallhausen said, "I guess it was just a glitch in the process...but I don't know that we're under any obligation to put out a release at every point in the process."

And asked if Grossman resumed his duties as head trainer on Thursday by actually reporting to the Southeast training room for duties, Wallhausen said, "I don't know if he actually went in to work."

Grossman declined to comment when reached at his residence Monday. His attorney, John Oliver of Cape Girardeau, was out of town on business and could also not be reached.

Grossman was suspended by the university on July 16 for using DMSO on five Southeast football players in the fall of 1995. DMSO is a controversial issue in the medical field, although it is neither illegal nor in violation of National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations.

DMSO was neither prescribed nor approved by university physicians, the school said at the time.

DMSO, according to a statement released by the school at the time of the suspension, was topically applied as a solvent or gel to the five athletes during the 1995 season, although the drug is not approved for that use by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Despite research in support of DMSO's effectiveness in the treatment of soft tissue damage, the FDA has restricted its application to the treatment of bladder wall inflammation.

Grossman had been Southeast's head athletic trainer for almost three years.

The university will now begin the process of finding a new head athletic trainer. Southeast athletic director Richard McDuffie is with the Southeast women's basketball team that is touring Finland and was unavailable for comment.

Normally, Southeast's head trainer would accompany the men's basketball team on its European trip that begins Saturday. Ed Finan, a trainer for HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center, has been hired by the university to accompany the basketball team on the trip. Finan, who has been working for HealthSouth in Houston, Texas, has been with the Southeast squad since it began practicing last Thursday.