Kansas University athletic director Al Bohl — stung by allegations of academic fraud at his former employer, Fresno State University — said Wednesday he was committed to a long tenure at KU.
His boss, KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway, said he knew of nothing in the works to end Bohl’s tenure at Kansas, but was keeping a close eye on the NCAA’s investigation of Fresno State athletics.
“Basically, what I know is what I read in the papers,” Hemenway said about Bohl, who was Fresno State’s athletic director before he took the KU post in 2001. “Obviously, anything that was reported you can’t really understand in the abstract. We’ll wait and see what the NCAA has to say about it.”
Asked if that meant a negative NCAA report would open the door to Bohl’s firing, Hemenway said, “You shouldn’t infer anything by that. We’re interested in Fresno State because our athletic director came from there.”
According to ESPN.com, NCAA officials were expected to be at Fresno State’s campus Wednesday to begin investigating allegations that former men’s basketball players had academic course work written for them.
A former Fresno State basketball statistician, Stephen Mintz, told the Fresno Bee he wrote and delivered 17 pieces of course work in 2000 for three Fresno State basketball players.
The players paid him nearly $1,500 for the work, Mintz said. Another source said the money came from a Las Vegas-based sports agent.
The investigation is the latest in a series of allegations against the Fresno State athletic department during Bohl’s reign there, from 1996 to 2001. The NCAA also has looked into allegations of improper transfer of funds, the eligibility of a men’s basketball player, receipt of free meals at a fast-food restaurant and improper tutoring assistance and transportation.
Bohl said the rumors of his removal, which began on the Internet several days ago and were fueled all day Wednesday by various radio talk show hosts who said Bohl was on the way out, were frustrating and not true.
“I will not address these rumors any more,” Bohl said. “Sherry (wife) and I are very happy to be in Lawrence, Kansas. People have been and are being super to us. I look forward to working at Kansas and helping improve Kansas athletics over the next decade. The rumors … it’s more important to emphasize I understand them and move forward.”
Hemenway denied rumors Wednesday that an agreement had been made for Bohl’s departure from KU.
“That would be news to me,” he said. “There’s nothing to that that I’m aware of.”
Late Thursday, KU’s sports information department put out a news release that quoted Hemenway as saying, “No changes in athletic administration at the University of Kansas are being considered.”
Bohl was at work Wednesday and attended the baseball team’s home-opener. He also met with other athletic department officials.
Internet rumors and radio talk shows Wednesday speculated Bohl does not have good working relationships with basketball coach Roy Williams and football coach Mark Mangino.
“I feel I have a great relationship with Roy and Mark and am working very hard to help Roy’s efforts to get to New Orleans and Mark to build a winning football program,” Bohl said. “I feel fortunate to work with such outstanding coaches.”