It was a decision that left some in shock, others in tears, and many more in disbelief.

Satinder Bajwa, the men’s and women’s squash coach who served Harvard for 11 years, told both teams Thursday at the Murr Center that despite recent victories—including the 2010 women’s national championship and two individual titles—his contract would not be renewed for the upcoming year.

“I think everyone’s still in the stage where they’re trying to understand it,” freshman Laura Gemmell said. “Obviously people are sad, and they really respect Baj as a coach.”

“This situation sort of came as a shock late last week,” junior Eliot Buchanan said yesterday afternoon. “So we obviously have a lot of questions that deserve to be answered.”

Some of those questions were answered yesterday at a meeting with Athletic Director Robert L. Scalise that nonetheless left several players unsatsified with the rationale, the process, and the decision itself.

THE REASONING

Scalise was unable to be reached for comment, but freshman Charles Gertler said that the rationale for Bajwa’s contract non-renewal was three-fold.

Spurning the chairs the team had laid out for him, the athletic director opted instead to stand—a move that Gertler said set the tone of the conversation—and said that while Bajwa did have a strong record on the court, breaches from administrative protocol, an inability to be a “good community member at the athletics department,” and recruiting deficiencies forced the department to part ways with the squash veteran, according to Gertler.

In an interview, Bajwa called Scalise’s administration-related accusations “very vague” and said that he maximized performance given the constraints of the admissions office.

At the meeting, according to several attendees, Scalise laid the groundwork for future interactions with the team about finding a new coach, which freshman Jason Michas called “ironic” given the lack of communication he said existed leading up to the non-renewal.

“Everyone was nervous going into [the meeting],” he said. “Originally we felt a bit slighted throughout the entire process, because we never found out what happened until quite recently.”

Bajwa was notified of the contract non-renewal just as the men’s squash team completed evaluation forms, according to Gertler, which he said highlights the administration’s omission of the teams’ opinions.

“They claim they made their decision in our interest, but when we’re not even considered, it’s a little upsetting,” he said.

THE RUMORS

Bajwa’s contract non-renewal was colored by rumors regarding alleged racism on the part of wealthy alumni.