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Former Cal Poly Pomona coaches cited for unethical conduct

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INDIANAPOLIS – California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) committed major violations in its women's and men's basketball program, according to findings by the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions. The committee noted the majority of the violations in this case occurred in the women's basketball program during 2009 and 2010. The violations in this case included unethical conduct by a former assistant coach and former head coach of the women's basketball team and a lack of institutional control.

Penalties include recruiting restrictions, a reduction in tryouts and two years of probation for the institution. The former women's basketball head coach received a two-year show-cause order. Additionally, a one-year show-cause order was given to a former women's basketball assistant coach. The show-cause penalties outline how the duties of these coaches must be limited at any NCAA member institution. These limitations are further detailed in the public infractions report. This case was resolved through the summary disposition process, a cooperative effort where the involved parties collectively submit the case to the Committee on Infractions in written form. The NCAA enforcement staff, the institution and involved individuals must agree to the facts of the case in order for this process to be utilized instead of a formal hearing.

According to the facts of the case, a former head coach and former assistant coach of the women's basketball team provided impermissible benefits to two prospective student-athletes and the cost of an online course for a third prospective student-athlete. Because the coaches failed to act with honesty and integrity by knowingly providing impermissible benefits to prospective student-athletes, both were cited for unethical conduct.

Both the women's basketball and men's basketball coaching staffs conducted impermissible tryouts. The committee also found that Cal Poly Pomona failed to monitor its athletic program and exercise institutional control. Specifically, the institution did not properly notify student-athletes regarding renewal and nonrenewal of financial aid from the 2000-01 academic year through 2009-10. The institution did not maintain squad lists for any of its sport programs during the 2005-06 academic year and did not correctly maintain squad lists for the majority of its programs from 2006-07 through 2009-10. Cal Poly Pomona failed to exercise institutional control and monitoring in the conduct and administration of its athletics program since the program failed to educate the staff about the rules, properly maintain squad lists, investigate potential NCAA rule violation and properly notify student-athletes regarding renewal and nonrenewal of financial aid.  

The penalties include:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Two years of probation from December 16, 2011, through December 15, 2013.
• Reduction in the number of tryouts in men's and women's basketball programs to 10 each during the 2011-12 academic year.
• Elimination of official paid visits in the women's basketball program during probationary period.
• One-year show-cause order for the former women's basketball assistant coach. The public report contains further details.
• Two-year show-cause order for the former women's basketball head coach. The public report contains further details.
• Detail regarding violations committed, the term of probation and penalties imposed must be displayed on the home page of the athletics website, in the media guides for the involved sports and in recruiting materials provided to prospective student-athletes in those sports.

The members of the Division II Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case include Bridget Lyons, chair and senior associate director of athletics, Barry University; Jean Paul Bradshaw II, attorney, Lathrop & Gage L.C.; Julie Rochester, faculty athletic representative and associate professor for Northern Michigan University; Carey Snyder, associate director of athletics at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania; and Harry O. Stinson III, assistant athletic director of compliance at Kentucky State University.