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Tuesday 3 October 2017

College basketball scandal updates, news: Louisville names interim athletic director

Louisville names interim athletic director

Louisville names interim athletic director

Louisville kept making moves on Tuesday dealing with the fallout in the college basketball recruiting scandal.

Louisville interim President Greg Postel announced on Tuesday that Vince Tyra, a former University of Kentucky baseball player and Louisville businessman, has been tabbed to fill the role as interim athletic director.

Tyra, 51, was a member of the University of Louisville Foundation's board but announced that he resigned from his position. He's also the operating partner of Southfield Capital, a Connecticut-based private equity firm.

"Vince Tyra is an exceptional leader who will provide stability to our athletics department," Postel said in a statement. "His success in business, his athletic background and his close ties to the university and the athletics department will be important to the continuing success of our program."

Louisville names interim athletic director

Previous AD Tom Jurich is currently on paid administrative leave as a result of an ongoing FBI investigation that revealed Louisville coach Rick Pitino arranged for a payment to be made to the family of true freshman Brian Bowen, who is currently enrolled at the school, as a means of essentially paying for the services of the McDonald's All-American. Pitino is currently on unpaid leave, however the University of Louisville's Athletic Association Board voted Monday to start the process of terminating Pitino with cause.

Check back here for all the latest updates in the college basketball recruiting scandal, as we will get more new information daily:

Louisville

  • Hall-of-Fame coach Rick Pitino was put on unpaid leave by the university, which means he has been in effect "fired" according to his attorney. CBS Sports' Gary Parrish wrote that Pitino left Louisville with no choice but to fire him after his involvement in a past recruiting scandal, but Pitino plans to fight the charges.
  • Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich was put on paid leave and will have his employment status reviewed by the UL Board of Trustees.
  • With Pitino on leave, assistant coach David Padgett, a former Louisville player, was named acting head coach. 
  • Louisville is expected to announce an interim AD on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. ET.


Alabama

  • Kobie Baker, a men's basketball administrator, resigned after athletic director Greg Byrne initiated an internal review of its men's basketball program in response to the scandal.


Miami

  • The president of the University of Miami acknowledged that the basketball program is subject to an ongoing FBI investigation.


Auburn

  • Assistant coach Chuck Person, a former NBA player and Auburn alum, is accused of handling a total of $141,500. Person was suspended without pay.
  • Coach Bruce Pearl, who is no stranger to NCAA trouble, is not named in the report.
  • The program is already being impacted by losing a high-profile recruit and offering to give refunds to season-ticket holders.


Arizona

  • Assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson is accused of paying a player identified only as "Player-5" $5,000 in bribe money to sign with the Wildcats. Richardson has been suspended with pay,


USC

  • USC assistant Tony Bland is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, soliciting a bribe and wire fraud. Bland has been charged with providing $9,000 cash payments to the families of two current USC players and has been suspended.
  • Bland retained a high-profile attorney who has represented El Chapo and John Gotti Jr.


Oklahoma State

  • Assistant coach Lamont Evans is accused of receiving at least $22,000 in bribe money to "exert his influence over certain student-athletes" at Oklahoma State and South Carolina, where he was also an assistant before leaving for OSU. Evans has been fired by Oklahoma State.


South Carolina

  • Evans, formerly an assistant at Oklahoma State, is also accused of accepting bribe money while an assistant at South Carolina.
  • Athletic director Ray Tanner issued a statement that South Carolina is "not the target" of the FBI probe, but acknowledged that Evans was investigated.  


Other individuals impacted

  • Jim Gatto, director of Adidas global sports marketing: Accused of paying families of two high-profile recruits to play for Adidas-affiliated schools. One of those schools is Louisville. Money exchanged with the two families was $100,000 and $150,000, according to the FBI.
  • Merl Code, recently left Nike for Adidas: A right-hand man for Gatto involved in many of these exchanges, according to the complaint.
  • Christian Dawkins, former NBA agent recently fired from ASM Sports: Broker who organized the deals between the assistant coaches and Gatto. He was caught on a wire saying, "If you're going to fund those kind of guys, I mean we'd be running college basketball."
  • Jonathan Brad Augustine, president of The League Initiative, director of an Adidas-sponsored program: Helped funnel/hide money through that youth basketball program. Also involved/connected to the recruitment of an unidentified 2018 player who is being courted by a number of high-profile schools.
  • Munish Sood, financial adviser: Along with Dawkins, the U.S. Attorney's office alleges he was a power broker in helping move approximately $250,000 to families of high school basketball players with the help of Gatto.
  • Rashan Michel, representative of Thompson Bespoke Clothing, former NCAA referee: Involved most intensely in dealing with Person at Auburn.

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