National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Mar 11, 2010 3:00:09 PM

The NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions has placed Stillman College on two years of probation and has imposed scholarship restrictions because of major and secondary violations in the school's track and field program.

The case involved unethical conduct by the former head men's and women's track coach in violations that took place over three academic years.

Other penalties in this case include a vacation of records and a three-year show-cause order for the former track coach. The show-cause penalty limits the former head track coach's duties at his present or any future employing institutions.

This case was resolved through the summary-disposition process, a cooperative effort where the involved parties submit the case to the Committee on Infractions in writing. When the NCAA enforcement staff, the university and involved individuals agree to the facts of the case and the university proposes penalties, they may use this process instead of a formal hearing.

During the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years, the former track coach fabricated results of four track meets between Stillman and Miles College. The fabrications consisted of adding names of student-athletes who did not compete to make it appear that 14 student-athletes had competed, which was necessary to meet NCAA sports-sponsorship requirements.

Further, when interviewed about the matters in December 2008, the former track coach provided false and misleading information. He denied fabricating results for the Stillman women's team and denied there was any problem with the men's team having enough competitors.

Once the information regarding the total number of team participants was uncovered, the enforcement staff again interviewed the former track coach in June 2009. It was during this interview that he admitted he had fabricated Stillman results. His failure to be forthcoming in his initial interview, which necessitated months of further investigation by the enforcement staff, constituted unethical conduct.

The penalties in this case are:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Two years of probation from March 11, 2010, through March 10, 2012.
• No official visits in men's and women's track and field for one recruiting year.
• Vacation of records.
• Three-year show-cause order for the former track coach from March 11, 2010, through March 10, 2013.

The members of the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case are Wendy Taylor May, chair, senior associate athletics director, University of California, San Diego; Bruce Kirsh, athletics director and vice president, Franklin Pierce University; Jean Paul Bradshaw II, attorney, Lathrop & Gage L.C; Bridget Lyons, senior associate director of athletics, Barry University; and Julie Rochester, faculty athletics representative and associate professor, Northern Michigan University.