Coaches posting on recruits' fb walls = recruiting violation

[RunInRed 16,356]

More on the evolution of recruiting...

UM looking into whether rules were broken in Facebook post

Kyle Veazey

Ole Miss officials are looking into whether an NCAA rule was broken when an assistant football coach appeared to comment on a recruit’s Facebook page, athletic department spokesman Kyle Campbell said.

The issue is with some photos posted on the page belonging to Jermaine Whitehead, a cornerback at a Greenwood high school who has given a non-binding, oral commitment to Mississippi State. Two photos appear to be recruiting letters from Ole Miss but made in promotional poster format. A Facebook user appearing to be Ole Miss assistant coach Chris Vaughn comments on both of them.

NCAA rules prohibit coaches from making public comments on recruits’ Facebook pages. Coaches can send private messages but can’t comment in open forums. Whitehead’s account, along with his photos and wall, is open to the public.

“Our members are concerned about the level of intrusion in a young person’s life related to recruiting, and the celebrity culture that can develop around the recruitment process, which is why limits are placed on how often coaches can contact recruits,” NCAA spokesperson Stacey Osburn said.

If the school self-reports a violation, it’ll most likely be secondary in nature.

The issue first came to light late Thursday night on a message board frequented by Mississippi State fans. Earlier this year, Virginia self-reported a secondary violation when head football coach Mike London wrote on a recruit’s Facebook wall, according to the Charlottesville Daily Press.

http://blogs.clarionledger.com/um/2010/06/26/um-looking-into-whether-rules-were-broken-in-facebook-post/