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Grand Valley State suspends offensive coordinator who said he'd have dinner with Hitler

The Detroit News

The Grand Valley State football program's recently hired offensive coordinator was suspended Monday following comments attributed to him in the university's student newspaper in which he said Adolf Hitler's leadership was "second to none."

The Grand Valley Lanthorn posted a question-and-answer story written by sports editor Kellen Voss in which Morris Berger, who was hired last week as Grand Valley's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was asked which three "historical figures" with whom he would like to have dinner.

Morris Berger was hired in January as Grand Valley State's new offensive coordinator.

One was the leader of the Nazi Party.

"This is probably not going to get a good review, but I’m going to say Adolf Hitler," Berger, who has a history degree from Drury University, said, according to The Lanthorn. "It was obviously very sad and he had bad motives, but the way he was able to lead was second-to-none. How he rallied a group and a following, I want to know how he did that. Bad intentions of course, but you can’t deny he wasn’t a great leader."

Berger also named President John F. Kennedy and Christopher Columbus.

Berger was suspended as the university in Allendale conducts a "thorough investigation," according to a statement from the school.

Berger arrived at Grand Valley after coaching tight ends at Texas State. He also spent two seasons on staff at Oklahoma State, where he was an offensive quality control coach, and three seasons at Missouri.