Video: Ex-SMU Coach Explains Himself, Blasts NCAA

The NCAA's sanctions of SMU golf get to the heart of what so many struggle to reconcile with the modern day NCAA--student-athletes unfairly punished for the actions of adults.

And after watching Golf Central's coverage of SMU's postseason golf ban, impacting the current individual NCAA and U.S. Amateur champion, the assertive and convincing comments of former coach Josh Gregory  to Golf Channel's George Savaricus will likely only increase disdain for the NCAA as an enforcement agency. (Or you may think he's lying...).

Comments

[CJK]

I feel for the kids obviously, but do you really think the NCAA made up these allegations against Gregory? He knew the rules as well, if not better, than any other coach in college golf. He chose to break the rules. It's nice that he feels bad for the kids because he caused the entire chain of events. No one else.

[KLG]

Not believable for a minute. This wasn't his first rodeo and he knew the rules. He didn't just inadvertently cross a line, once. Or twice. There is a term for someone who does such things (several, actually, of varying degrees of precision), knowing the consequences will be felt primarily by others. And this "you make a mistake and learn from it and carry on" is pure bullshit. None of which is to say the NCAA is a particularly believable, useful, or necessary organization. For one thing the leader of this inquisition was one Michael F. Adams (where does your alma mater keep finding these things, Geoff?). But the rules were in place and nothing about them was mysterious. Whether they are necessary, valid, proper may be an open question. But it doesn't mean you can ignore them, any more than you can ignore the stroke and distance penalty for a ball hit OB.

[Blue Canyon]

I don't think he is lying and it does sound like the NCAA has to keep the free for all under the tent:
1) One thing - multiple texts sent to kids in recruiting
2) Resale of freebies? Unethical - absolutely even if for a good cause.
Crazy that common sense

[Dewsweeper]

Gregory knew about the rep of Patrick Reed and he knew the real reason that Chris Haack let him go, the qualifying round cheating, yet he still sold his soul because having a great team was more important. Every kid on the Augusta State team had problems with Reed yet Gregory still tolerated his antics, and guess what, he got two NCAA National Championships. Bush league character.

[PA PLAYA]

As I noted in the related topic, google "Kelvin Sampson" and read up on his history. Why this douche is still coaching any school in division 1 basketball is beyond me, and highlights the problems that stem from an organization (NCAA) that refuses to take proper corrective action. The same can be said for the "legendary" Larry Brown, whose programs he coached have been punished on three separate occasions.

It sickens me that these lowlifes can so easily walk away from the mess they create and find employment elsewhere within the collegiate system, while leaving the kids to deal with the consequences.

[Rose]

The NCAA was so mad at Kentucky it put Cleveland State on probation.

--Tarkanian

The NCAA's, plantation business model, collective guilt disciplinary process and transfer restrictions result in one of the most loathsome institutions in the US.

[V60]

I don't care what the coach did the NCAA is nothing more than plantation owners. They need to be stopped. They are corrupt and holier than thou attitude is despicable. F them.

[Convert]

+100 Ky

I am no fan of the NCAA, but it doesn't change the fact that a lot of coaches knowingly break the rules which is cheating. And do so fully knowing that the punishment, if caught, will always be felt by innocent athletes.

[Mustang Sally]

SMU always writes their own rules and it is has been doing in multiple sports and not just football and basketball. The fact is the NCAA has liberalized the recruiting rules for golf during the same period that Gregory violated them and yet he willfully disregarded them. The unethical paying for access to coaches model by prospective student athletes having to pay to attend the showcase tournaments and to pay for private college recruiting consulting ends up with the result being kickbacks to the college coaches in free trips to college coaches and should be stopped by the NCAA.

[Realist]

Coach had a full compliance department at his fingertips - ignorance of a rule is no excuse. One call to a compliance person on each of these issues would have avoided the penalty. I think the issues are petty, but just like the rules of golf, no one forced you to enter the game.

I have some experience with these junior golf "mentors". They simply allow a coach to be lazy and not do their own recruiting. Parents can spend thousands to have their kid seen by a Coach. Disgraceful that a coach at at first rate university like SMU would rely on someone to steer players him.

The athletic department doesn't have thousands of coaches to monitor - only a handful and failed. Universities are full of administrators and interns - these people are acting as if the NCAA rules are unmanageable - nonsense.


Having said that, the NCAA has an obvious alternative - allow the players to compete individually but still apply sanctions to the team.

[mark]

I guess it is just like golf, no one knows the rules or how to get around them

[mydgolf]

Blast the coaches all you wish. The NCAA is a bad thing...no sworn testimony and check it out on this SMU thing. Michael Adams is the head of hearing committee. He was president of UGA when Patrick Reed was accused and left for Augusta State where the SMU coach was. AND he went thru an identical situation BB at UGA with Jim Harrick where the players were removed form the tournament.
NCAA Sux

[digsouth]

As Ky pointed out on the first thread, this is a pattern at SMU.

While the punishment is way over the top for the players, this coach, if that is a correct term for him, may have flubbed it a couple of times on simple ''you gotta be kidding me'' infractions- there were many times when he knew he was in violation of the policies.

The NCAA continues to be a joke, and they could restore a small amount of cred. if they simply allow the players to play, and only punish the coach, as it should be, but the punishment vs the infraction- sure seems to be harsh. I can't help but wonder if it is because it is SMU, a previous offender, and a coach of questionable prior integrity.

I find the whole arena of college athletics to be coated in a fungus, with corporate suites in overpriced football stadiums topping the list. Corporations, while initiated as a good thing, now have more power than people, more rights, less severe punishment, and our capitalist country has become a corporate country, with everything from energy to war being dictated by these entities.

SMU needs to clean up its act, and if it is truly a Christian school, kick the guilty parties who are behind these criminal hirings out, and seek civil and possibly criminal charges against those who have dishonored their name. Or just let the corporate money keep flowing, and say that God understands....

[John]

SMU did get a harsher penalty as a repeat offender. If they hung banners for NCAA violations their gym would look like the Montreal Forum. Anyone bashing the NCAA is wrong.

[Filthy Rich Booster]

Y'all let me know when the NCAA decides to solely punish the coach and to let the school and, therefore, the players walk.
I've got a suitcase full of cash for a good recruiting coach to spread around (and another one for him to keep) building up a
fine stable of football players.

When Coach Scapegoat gets caught he can retire on his suitcase of cash and we'll bring Coach XsAndOs in to
win national championships with those players.

[Steve Elling]

Read what Gregory did, in the NCAA's own report, with clear intent and dishonesty at heart:

http://golf.blotpost.com/college/report-findings-ncaa-violations-by-smu-program-were-substantial-intentional/

He flagrantly cheated in recruiting, lied to the school about interactions with a booster, and committed several other violations. Selling (presumably) free equipment to recruits? Come on.

The NCAA was supposed to do what, exactly?

[Brad Ford]

The idea that SMU is a bastion of cheating is outdated and wrong. The last time SMU has a serious violation -> 1986. When that happened, they fired everyone (most of whom have died of old age) and had a compliance program that was so strict the football team couldn't win for 25 years.

SMU found out about Gregory, fired him, and self reported the incident to to the NCAA. Result: NCAA hammers SMU anyway.
SMU found out about the asst basketball coach, fired him, fired his secretary. Result: NCAA pretends 1986 was recent news.

In contrast, North Carolina was handing out degrees to athletes based upon fake classes for a decade. Result: no punishment.

[Craig James follower]

Mustang madness. Many other mustang tactics never see the light of day. The NCAA only addressed the low hanging fruit on this disclosure. The current running through school to establish a national presence in multiple sports is unbelievable requiring not just more compliance staff but a change in many administrative leaders of the school.

[Brad Ford]

@CraigJamesFollower

Every single administrator and coach from the Death Penalty Era was replaced in 1986 and 1987. After they were replaced, an entirely new regime took over that was anti-sports and forced the school into overcompliance.
For 20 plus years, we were not competitive in any sports and had no significant violations. After that group got old enough that they retired/died, the new regime took over and tried to run a competitive, clean program.

Although the story doesn't mention it, SMU's curent President is on the Knight Commission charged with cleaning up NCAA athletics. Why? He is is known for running clean programs.

[CJK]

Was he the president that hired Josh Gregory? If so, he had to know he was asking for trouble.

[Craig James follower]

Over compliance? Seriously? Larry Brown?

[Brad Ford]

CJK - nobody at SMU (or any school) cares enough about the golf program to intentionally hire a cheat. Gregory got hired because he did well at his prior job and because he was a former SMU golfer (not a very good one BTW).

@Craig James Follower - Larry Brown is still the coach because there is ZERO evidence that he knew it was going on or that he encouraged it. That is why he wasn't fired like the other people were.

[CJK]

That may be Brad, but how come guys in and around the college game know about his antics, going back to pre-Augusta days yet smart administrators can't dig deep enough to get the dirt? If they didn't care about winning why hire a guy who admitted he wanted to be the greatest college golf coach in history? Oh yeah, he's an alumnus.

[Greg]

Yes, over-compliance. I went to 25 years of football and basketball games where our teams were so over-matched it was pathetic. All because our athlete admission standards were so high after the death penalty - much higher than any NCAA standards. Now any little thing that happens, we still get hammered like 1986 was just yesterday. How long do we have to pay for the sins of the '70s and '80's? Taking a kid's exam is ridiculously stupid. Even dumber when you find out the course wasn't even needed. But the coach that did it was fired and it was reported. And now these drastic sanctions levied - again - by the of-so-righteous NCAA who makes literally billions of dollars on the backs of "student athletes." What a farce.