The people spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of
anonymity because neither the NCAA or Miami have announced the contents
of the long-awaited letter, which the Hurricanes may receive at any
time. The people say the coaches will be cited for violating NCAA bylaw
10.1, a broad rule that covers conduct and cooperating with
investigations. One of the coaches has been told to expect arrival of an
actual copy of the allegations on Tuesday, one person told the AP.
Parties who are named in the notice of allegations are entitled
to a copy, though it is unclear if all will receive the letter
simultaneous to its delivery at Miami. It's unknown how many current and
former coaches and staff members will be charged with wrongdoing.
The NCAA does not comment on ongoing investigations. Miami
officials have said throughout the investigation, which started in 2011,
that the school is cooperating with the NCAA and will decline extensive
public comment out of respect to that process.
The people told the AP that Miami still has not seen a final
version of the notice of allegations, the arrival of which will
essentially bring just the first chapter of this Miami-NCAA saga to a
close. Several people involved with the process have either reviewed
draft documents or been advised of their upcoming mentions in telephone
calls with investigators. Most of those calls took place last week.
Another individual who was interviewed during the joint inquiry
told the AP that the NCAA has not been in contact since. That suggests
not everyone who at one time was thought to be under investigation will
not actually be mentioned in the notice of allegations.
Earlier this month, Miami coach Al Golden said he did not expect
the university to be surprised by the NCAA's findings. Several people
involved in the investigation said Miami has had representation at many
interviews the NCAA conducted with persons it found to be of interest.
A CBSSports.com report published Monday said that the NCAA could
not prove former booster and convicted Ponzi scheme architect Nevin
Shapiro's claim that former Miami men's basketball coach Frank Haith or a
member of his Miami staff paid $10,000 to the family of former
Hurricanes' player DeQuan Jones. Shapiro has said that he provided that
money.
Jones was suspended by Miami last season after Shapiro's claims
were published in August 2011 by Yahoo Sports, then ultimately allowed
to return to the team.
CBSSports.com also said Haith will face the ``unethical conduct''
charge because of inconsistencies the NCAA found in his account of
Jones' recruitment. CBSSports.com also said Haith will be charged with
``failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance'' because relatives of
two players were given impermissible airline travel.
``The University has been in communication with the NCAA
regarding their ongoing efforts related to the University of Miami
investigation,'' Missouri said in a statement. ``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.''
One of those players, current senior Reggie Johnson, was
suspended for a game last season after Miami and the NCAA found members
of his family accepted what they called ``impermissible travel
benefits.'' And guard Durand Scott, the Hurricanes' leading scorer, was
for the end of last season and the start of this season after he was
also found to have gotten unspecified extra benefits.
Whenever the actual letter arrives, Miami's receipt of the notice of allegations will usher in the start of the sanctions phase.
And that could take months _ meaning actual penalties may not be handed down until this summer, or later.
Typically, schools and individuals named in the notice of
allegations have 90 days to file a response to the NCAA's findings, all
of which would be reviewed by the committee on infractions _ which
operates separately from the NCAA's investigative arm.
Some of the sanctions have already gone into effect, since they
were self-imposed. Miami's football team has missed three postseason
games _ two bowl games and what would have been an appearance in this
season's Atlantic Coast Conference championship game _ in response to
the investigation, and Golden is holding back a number of scholarships
from the 2013 roster as well.
Shapiro, the former booster, is serving a 20-year sentence in
federal prison for masterminding a $930 million Ponzi scheme. Virtually
all of the individuals who were named by Shapiro in his detailed claims
that were published by Yahoo Sports are no longer at the university, and
several of the people to whom the NCAA wanted to talk simply refused
during the inquiry.
The NCAA inquiry started several months before that August 2011 article.
*Pictured above is jailed Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro.
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