Martina Navratilova Calls for Coach’s Dismissal
In late 2024, Martina Navratilova, a renowned figure in women’s tennis, urged San Jose State University (SJSU) to dismiss volleyball coach Todd Kress amidst a gripping transgender athlete controversy linked to the university. Reports indicate that a former player had sent SJSU a letter outlining serious allegations against Kress.
Navratilova echoed her sentiments by sharing a post stating, “Shoot him!” She also mentioned in another discussion that she found the situation deeply troubling, adding, “This coach should have been fired yesterday!”
The original post by another individual, Hogshead, emphasized that “sexism rarely manifests itself in just one form,” before highlighting Kress’ alleged mistreatment of female and transgender athletes during his initial seasons leading the team.
SJSU and Kress were contacted for comments regarding Navratilova and Hogshead’s remarks, but there hasn’t been a response yet. Fox News Digital reported that in October 2024, the athletic department received a letter alleging an incident involving Kress from a former player dating back to 1998 when she was at Fairfield University. The letter accused Kress of misconduct that occurred during a hotel stay after a loss in the NCAA Tournament.
In an email, SJSU officials acknowledged the receipt of the allegations, expressing gratitude to former players who came forward and offered apologies for their experiences. However, Kress remained in his position as head coach of the women’s volleyball team despite these claims.
Fox News Digital reviewed emails between SJSU and the former Fairfield player, confirming her participation in the 1998 season under Kress without revealing her identity. She had included an original letter sent to Fairfield accusing Kress, detailing an alleged incident after Fairfield’s match against Clemson.
She described her reluctance to engage in Kress’ behavior post-loss, sharing that a teammate had agreed to retrieve a shirt from him due to his promise not to act childishly. However, the situation escalated, leading to an uncomfortable encounter that involved inappropriate actions from Kress.
Describing her reaction, she expressed, “Surprised… that was the only word to describe how I felt at that moment… Todd was drunk.” She shared that Kress physically restrained her, creating a distressing encounter that left her unsettled.
The letter claimed that she didn’t report the incident at the time due to fears about losing her scholarship and negatively impacting her teammates.
On June 9, 2026, Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to SJSU for documents related to the complaint made on October 24, 2024. However, on June 22, SJSU denied this request, emphasizing privacy concerns and stating that the matter involved significant privacy interests.
Following the denial, an inquiry was sent to Kress, athletic director Jeff Konya, and others, detailing specific questions about the alleged incident and the university’s response measures.
At the time this was published, neither Kress nor SJSU representatives had responded to requests for comment. Moreover, Fox News Digital reached out to Fairfield University regarding the former player’s letter, but they declined to discuss personnel matters.
