Forner Bama Coach gets fifteen year show cause penalty

[aubiefifty 16,807]

al.com

NCAA levies 15-year show cause penalty against former Alabama coach Brad Bohannon

Updated: Feb. 01, 2024, 12:07 p.m.|Published: Feb. 01, 2024, 11:17 a.m.

4–5 minutes

Regulators moved to ban former Alabama University coach Brad Bohannon from gambling in Ohio.(AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)AP

By

Nick Alvarez | nalvarez@al.com

Former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon has received his punishment from the NCAA following last year’s betting scandal.

Bohannon, who was fired in May 2023, allegedly passed along information about a scratched starting pitcher to Bert Eugene Neff, who then placed large sets on Bohannon’s behalf for LSU to beat Alabama in a game scheduled on April 28. U.S. Integrity, a monitoring company contracted by casinos nationwide, flagged the “abnormally large” wagers, which was later revealed to be $100,000.

The NCAA imposed a 15-year show-cause penalty against Bohannon, which means any potential school would be punished upon hiring him. The Kentucky native was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and faces three years of probation. Per the NCAA, Bohannon “failed to participate” in the inquiry, another violation.

Should a school hire Bohannon, 48, during that time, the coach will be “suspended for 100% of the baseball regular season” for five years. Alabama players, coaches and athletic administrators will also be subjected to a “comprehensive” gambling education program provided by EPIC Global Solutions.

Alabama agreed to two Level I “mitigated violations” compared to Bohannon’s “aggravated violations.” UA agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and will be on probation from Feb. 1 through Jan. 31, 2027.

“Integrity of games is of the utmost importance to NCAA members, and the panel is deeply troubled by Bohannon’s unethical behavior,” said Big East chief operating officer Vince Nicastro, who led the group that heard the NCAA’s case.

“Improperly sharing that information for purposes of sports betting cuts to the heart of the honesty and sportsmanship we expect of our members and is particularly egregious when shared by those who have the ability to influence the outcome of games.”

The NCAA investigation found that before Alabama’s game against LSU, right-handed pitcher Luke Holman was ruled out with a back injury. Before the starting lineup was delivered to opposing coaches, Bohannon messaged Neff through the app Signal.

He wrote: “HAMMER … [Student-athlete 1] is out for sure … Lemme know when I can tell LSU… Hurry.”

Neff then attempted to place a six-figure bet in the BetMGM sportsbook located inside Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Though BetMGM’s policy limited Neff to a $15,000 bet, Neff tried to make additional wagers which were flagged and struck down. Neff allegedly showed employees at the sportsbook his messages from Bohannon to prove to validity of his information and why the bet was sound.

On Wednesday, Neff was charged with obstructing a federal grand jury investigation in Alabama’s Northern District. Per a release, Neff repeatedly attempted to destroy evidence. Bohannon has yet to make a public comment since he was fired. Alabama eventually replaced him with Rob Vaughn, formerly of Maryland.

Bohannon and Alabama assistant head coach Jason Jackson and trainer Sean Styrker are also facing a lawsuit from a former pitcher in which they’re alleged of negligent care.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.

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[aubiefifty 16,807]

the dirty bastid...............

[warbiscuit 279]

Even had Bohannon been fired from Bama without the betting controversy, schools would have been interested in him as a recruiter given he had 4 top 10 classes in 5 years at Bama. Now schools won't touch him.

Edited February 1 by warbiscuit

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

I guess the lure of easy money will cause good people to do incredibly stupid things.  Just the thought that a $100,000 bet just before game time wouldn't raise any red flags is incredibly naive/stupid.  I thought there was no way it happened the way it was reported when it went down, but it was actually even worse.  I'd be curious to know what Butch thinks about it....

[WillMunny 1,378]

He's effectively banned from coaching again.  He must serve a 5-year suspension upon being hired at any other school for the next 15 years, if I understand correctly.