Download: Coastal Carolina Public Infractions Decision
A former Coastal Carolina University head men’s golf coach gave private lessons to a recruit and paid for more private lessons with another instructor, according to a decision issued by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. The total value of the lessons was more than $1,200.
Penalties in this case, including some self-imposed by the university, include one year of probation, recruiting restrictions, vacation of certain golf records, a $5,000 fine and a one-year show-cause order for the former coach. During the show-cause time period, if the former head coach is employed as a head coach by another member school, he will be prohibited from recruiting.
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 university and any involved individuals must agree to the facts of the case in order for this process to be utilized instead of having a formal hearing. The panel reviewing the case held an expedited penalty hearing because the coach did not agree with the show-cause order.
According to the committee’s decision, the former coach gave the recruit five private lessons and paid for the recruit to have 10 additional private lessons with another instructor when the recruit moved to South Carolina to live with family during his senior year of high school. Each lesson with the former coach was considered an impermissible tryout and exceeded the allowable number of recruiting contacts, according to NCAA rules. The former coach acknowledged that he knew he could not provide free lessons to the recruit and that paying for the private lessons was not allowed by NCAA rules. Because of this, the former coach violated NCAA’s ethical conduct rules.
Penalties and corrective measures include:
- Public reprimand and censure.
- One year of probation from Sept. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016.
- One-year show-cause order for the former coach from Sept. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016. During the show-cause time period, the former head coach is prohibited from all recruiting activities.
- Vacation of all individual and team wins from events in which the recruit participated during 2011-12 and 2012-13. The public report contains further details..
- A $5,000 fine.
- A prohibition for the men’s golf coaching staff of on- and off-campus recruiting for six weeks during the fall of 2013 (self-imposed by the university).
- A reduction in total practice days for the men’s golf team by six (from 144 to 138) during 2013-14 (self-imposed by the university).
- A reduction of the men’s golf playing season by six days during 2013-14 (self-imposed by the university).
Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from NCAA membership and members of the public. The members of the panel who reviewed this case are Bobby Cremins, former head basketball coach at Georgia Institute of Technology; Thomas Hill, senior vice president for student affairs at Iowa State University; Eleanor W. Myers, law professor at Temple University; Larry Parkinson, director of investigations for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Jill Pilgrim, attorney in private practice; and Greg Sankey, chief hearing officer, chair of the Committee on Infractions and commissioner for the Southeastern Conference.