Due to a recent investigation into the University of Idaho men’s basketball program, the NCAA Committee on Infractions (COI) found that rules violations occurred within the program.
The violations involved the former head coach instructing noncoaching staff members to engage in impermissible coaching activities, causing the program to exceed the permissible number of countable coaches. Additionally, the program supervised student-athletes’ participation in countable athletically related activity beyond what is allowed by NCAA rules by observing scrimmages involving student-athletes and not recording that activity in its required logs. Prospective student-athletes also participated in scrimmages observed by coaches, resulting in impermissible tryouts with two prospective student-athletes. An additional violation occurred when a prospective student-athlete on an official visit participated in on-court activities without having completed a required medical examination.
The former head coach and the enforcement staff agreed that the former head coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance and that he did not monitor his staff’s recording and reporting of countable activity.
As a result of those infractions, the NCAA and the university agreed to the following penalties:
- A two-year probation from June 18, 2020 through June 17, 2022
- A $5,000 fine
- Recruiting restrictions
- Practice restrictions during the 2019-20 season
- The elimination of the director of men’s basketball operations position during the 2019-20 academic year
- A one-year show-cause order for the former head coach
- The university must require all men’s basketball staff members to participate in NCAA Regional Rules Seminar in 2020 or 2021
- Public reprimand and censure.
Please note that Idaho’s probation does not include a ban from postseason participation.
Additional information on the violations including the terms of Idaho’s probation are outlined specifically in the
NCAA COI public report.
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