The former SUNY Brockport men's wrestling head coach committed NCAA violations when he used physical education courses he taught to engage student-athletes in wrestling practice prior to the first permissible practice date, according to a decision released by the Division III Committee on Infractions. The coach also arranged for impermissible off-campus training during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NCAA enforcement staff and university agreed that over the course of four years, the wrestling head coach taught two physical education wrestling courses — introductory and intermediate wrestling — for which 89% of the enrolled students were members of the men's wrestling team. The head coach encouraged incoming freshmen to enroll in both classes, and he then used those classes to acclimate incoming student-athletes into his program prior to the start of the wrestling season. He also did not allow non-student-athletes enrolled in the classes to engage in wrestling drills.
The enforcement staff and university also agreed that on one occasion in September 2020, the head coach arranged during the off-season for an off-campus gym to provide members of the men's wrestling team with an opportunity to train because the university had implemented contact restrictions on campus due to the pandemic. The training schedule at the gym was created by the student-athletes, but the head coach initiated contact with the gym and briefly attended the training.
The classes and offsite training violated NCAA rules because they occurred outside of the established playing season, specifically prior to the first permissible practice date. Participation in the classes and off-campus training resulted in 49 student-athletes participating in impermissible athletically related activity over the course of four years. Further, because the classes and training offsite occurred prior to the season, many of the student-athletes who participated had not undergone a required medical examination or evaluation — also a violation of NCAA rules.
The committee concluded in its decision that, as a result of the head coach's direct involvement in the violations, he committed head coach responsibility violations because he did not promote an atmosphere for compliance.
This case was resolved through the cooperative summary disposition process, in which involved parties collectively submit the case to the committee in written form. All participating parties must agree to the facts of the case for this process to be used instead of a formal hearing. The former head coach resigned from coaching and did not participate in the processing of the case.
The committee prescribed the following penalties and corrective measures:
- Three years of probation.
- A $2,500 fine (self-imposed by the university).
- A three-year show-cause order for the former men's wrestling head coach. During that period, any NCAA member school employing him must restrict him from any athletically related duties unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply.
- The university delayed the start of wrestling team practice from Oct. 10 to Oct. 18, 2021 (self-imposed by the university).
- The university will not host any intercollegiate wrestling competitions in the fall semester from 2021 through 2023 (self-imposed by the university).
- The university will prohibit all external wrestling activity on campus except for New York Public High School Athletic Association-sanctioned events (self-imposed by the university). The committee extended this prohibition through the duration of the probationary period.
- The university will not bid on or host NCAA regional or national wrestling events for a five-year period through 2026 (self-imposed by the university).
Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from NCAA member schools and conferences and members of the public. The committee members who reviewed this case are Sarah Feyerherm, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Washington College and chair for the committee; Richard Lapidus, president of Fitchburg State; Donna Ledwin, commissioner of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference; Jody Mooradian, athletics director at Salve Regina and vice chair of the committee; and Angela Givens Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.