Dallas ? The NCAA banned the SMU men’s basketball team from postseason play Tuesday, suspended coach Larry Brown for nine games and took away nine scholarships over the next three seasons, after concluding that he lied to its investigators and ignored a case of academic fraud involving one of his players.
The NCAA noted that Brown, who previously coached at Kansas University and UCLA and left NCAA penalties in his wake, made “choices against his better judgment when it came to compliance issues” at SMU.
“These choices included not reporting possible violations in his program, initially lying to the enforcement staff during the investigation and providing no specific guidance to his staff on rules compliance,” the NCAA said in punishing SMU for its nation-leading 10th major infractions case.
The school said it was studying the report and would decide within the next two weeks whether to appeal.
Brown, 75, the only coach to win both NCAA and NBA titles, is also subject to a show-cause order over the next two years. He has to attend an NCAA regional rules seminar each of the two years. Also, some if not all of the 27-victory 2013-14 season could be vacated.
“I am saddened and disappointed that the Committee on Infractions believes that I did not fully fulfill my duties and I will consider my options to challenge that assertion in the coming days,” said Brown, who is 69-34 in three seasons at SMU.
“Still, there was a violation in our program and I take responsibility for that and offer my sincere apologies to the university community.”
The NCAA said Brown acknowledged “his failed judgment” during a hearing on the case.
“But I realize, you know, in hindsight that was a terrible mistake on my part,” Brown said. “I wish I could have changed all that. But we had that interview with the NCAA, I don’t know why I lied. You know, dealing with people that I really care about, and I used terrible judgment, and I tried to acknowledge that as quickly as I could, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. I realize that.”
In a news conference Brown said he was blindsided by one question of NCAA investigators and after leaving the room for a minute, quickly returned, corrected one point, and issued truthful testimony to the investigators.
Michael Adams, the Pepperdine chancellor who was the chief hearing officer, said SMU’s past transgressions were taken into account this time. He said Brown’s past, and leaving Kansas and UCLA before NCAA probation hit those programs for violations allegedly commited on his watch, were not factors.
SMU’s acknowledgement of an investigation in January came after an appeal of an academic suspension that sidelined sophomore guard Keith Frazier the rest of the season. That was also days after assistant coach Ulric Maligi, who recruited Frazier out of Kimball High in Dallas, took an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. Maligi is no longer on staff.
The NCAA said a former assistant men’s basketball coach encouraged an athlete (Frazier) to enroll in an online course to meet NCAA initial eligibility standards and be admitted to the university. The NCAA also said a former men’s basketball administrative assistant hired by Brown then completed the coursework; she then provided false information to NCAA investigators and also attempted to influence the player to provide false information. Brown said in the news conference just one person in the department (the administrative assistant who helped Frazier with his coursework) was guilty of any violation. Brown said he was penalized because of a new rule that makes the head coach responsible for every person on his staff.
However, according to the report, Brown learned of the misconduct in 2014 and didn’t report it to anyone for more than a month.
Brown coached KU to the 1988 national championship before returning to the NBA as San Antonio’s coach. But the Jayhawks were banned from postseason play the next season and placed on probation for recruiting violations during Brown’s tenure. UCLA was 42-17 in Brown’s two seasons, but the Bruins’ runner-up finish in the 1980 NCAA Tournament was later vacated by the NCAA after two players were determined to be ineligible.
Dallas ? The NCAA banned the SMU men’s basketball team from postseason play Tuesday, suspended coach Larry Brown for nine games and took away nine scholarships over the next three seasons, after concluding that he lied to its investigators and ignored a case of academic fraud involving one of his players.
The NCAA noted that Brown, who previously coached at Kansas University and UCLA and left NCAA penalties in his wake, made “choices against his better judgment when it came to compliance issues” at SMU.
“These choices included not reporting possible violations in his program, initially lying to the enforcement staff during the investigation and providing no specific guidance to his staff on rules compliance,” the NCAA said in punishing SMU for its nation-leading 10th major infractions case.
The school said it was studying the report and would decide within the next two weeks whether to appeal.
Brown, 75, the only coach to win both NCAA and NBA titles, is also subject to a show-cause order over the next two years. He has to attend an NCAA regional rules seminar each of the two years. Also, some if not all of the 27-victory 2013-14 season could be vacated.
“I am saddened and disappointed that the Committee on Infractions believes that I did not fully fulfill my duties and I will consider my options to challenge that assertion in the coming days,” said Brown, who is 69-34 in three seasons at SMU.
“Still, there was a violation in our program and I take responsibility for that and offer my sincere apologies to the university community.”
The NCAA said Brown acknowledged “his failed judgment” during a hearing on the case.
“But I realize, you know, in hindsight that was a terrible mistake on my part,” Brown said. “I wish I could have changed all that. But we had that interview with the NCAA, I don’t know why I lied. You know, dealing with people that I really care about, and I used terrible judgment, and I tried to acknowledge that as quickly as I could, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. I realize that.”
In a news conference Brown said he was blindsided by one question of NCAA investigators and after leaving the room for a minute, quickly returned, corrected one point, and issued truthful testimony to the investigators.
Michael Adams, the Pepperdine chancellor who was the chief hearing officer, said SMU’s past transgressions were taken into account this time. He said Brown’s past, and leaving Kansas and UCLA before NCAA probation hit those programs for violations allegedly commited on his watch, were not factors.
SMU’s acknowledgement of an investigation in January came after an appeal of an academic suspension that sidelined sophomore guard Keith Frazier the rest of the season. That was also days after assistant coach Ulric Maligi, who recruited Frazier out of Kimball High in Dallas, took an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. Maligi is no longer on staff.
The NCAA said a former assistant men’s basketball coach encouraged an athlete (Frazier) to enroll in an online course to meet NCAA initial eligibility standards and be admitted to the university. The NCAA also said a former men’s basketball administrative assistant hired by Brown then completed the coursework; she then provided false information to NCAA investigators and also attempted to influence the player to provide false information. Brown said in the news conference just one person in the department (the administrative assistant who helped Frazier with his coursework) was guilty of any violation. Brown said he was penalized because of a new rule that makes the head coach responsible for every person on his staff.
However, according to the report, Brown learned of the misconduct in 2014 and didn’t report it to anyone for more than a month.
Brown coached KU to the 1988 national championship before returning to the NBA as San Antonio’s coach. But the Jayhawks were banned from postseason play the next season and placed on probation for recruiting violations during Brown’s tenure. UCLA was 42-17 in Brown’s two seasons, but the Bruins’ runner-up finish in the 1980 NCAA Tournament was later vacated by the NCAA after two players were determined to be ineligible.
