The NCAA will charge former University of Miami basketball coach Frank Haith, three former assistant basketball coaches and two unidentified assistant coaches with serious rule violations in connection with the Nevin Shapiro scandal, according to media reports published Monday.
Haith, who coached the Hurricanes from 2004-2011 and is now at Missouri, faces allegations of unethical conduct and failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance, according to CBSSports.com. Three members of Haith’s UM staff — Jorge Fernandez, Jake Morton and Michael Schwartz — are expected to be charged with unethical conduct. Schwartz now is an assistant at Fresno State and Morton is an assistant at Western Kentucky. Fernandez isn’t presently coaching.
The Associated Press reported that two UM assistant coaches will be charged with unethical conduct. The story did not name the coaches or specify what sport they’re involved with.
Spokesman Chris Freet said the university would have no comment on the published reports.
UM has awaited the NCAA’s notice of allegations for more than a week. A university source said that UM officials have been told the NCAA’s 22-month-old investigation into improper benefits provided by Shapiro, a rogue booster and convicted Ponzi schemer, has been completed and that the notice of allegations could arrive at any moment, possibly as early as today.
The unethical conduct charge against Haith stems from allegations that payments he made to his assistants for basketball camps ended up being paid to Shapiro, CBSSports.com reported. The NCAA’s claim against Haith of failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance arose from airline travel his staff gave to two players’ families, as well as allowing contact between Shapiro and players during recruiting trips, according to the report.
Current Hurricane seniors Reggie Johnson and Durand Scott were suspended last season, reportedly for accepting improper travel benefits.
Haith did not respond to a message left on his cell phone. He told ESPN.com through a text that he’s yet to receive notification from the NCAA.
“We are in constant contact (with) the NCAA but we have not yet received a notice of allegations,” Haith texted.
Missouri released a statement Monday that said: “The University has been in communication with the NCAA regarding their ongoing efforts related to the University of Miami investigation. Coach Haith and the University of Missouri continue to cooperate fully. However, we are not at liberty to comment further out of respect for the NCAA process.”
Any coach who is alleged to have broken NCAA rules has 90 days to respond before facing the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
Haith and the assistant coaches could be facing “show-cause” orders if the allegations against them are upheld. The show-cause penalty says NCAA sanctions imposed on a coach involved in major rules violations at one university’s athletic program will remain in force if he is hired by any other NCAA school.
The CBSSports.com story said that the NCAA could not prove Shapiro’s assertion that Haith or someone on his staff paid $10,000 to the family of former player DeQuan Jones, now with the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
The allegation that UM paid Jones’ family was one of the most serious made by Shapiro, who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence. Shapiro claimed to have provided the money for the payment.
It’s unknown if any former UM assistant football coaches will receive a notice of allegations from the NCAA. Several were accused by Shapiro of NCAA rule violations, including Jeff Stoutland, Joe Pannunzio, Aubrey Hill and Clint Hurtt. Stoutland and Pannunzio are now on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama while Hurtt is an assistant at Louisville. Hill resigned as Florida’s receivers coach before the 2012 season.
