TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - The NCAA has imposed a two-year show cause penalty against former Alabama assistant coach Bo Davis for recruiting violations but didn’t impose further penalties against the university.
Davis knowingly violated rules in a meeting with four prospects that was arranged by a booster and “acted unethically” in providing false or misleading information about the impermissible contact, a Division I Committee on Infractions panel said in a ruling released Friday.
Davis denied the recruiting activity and booster’s involvement when asked both by the university and the NCAA enforcement staff. The misleading responses “substantially exacerbated” the seriousness of the case, the NCAA said.
The NCAA issued a public reprimand and censure for Alabama, which had already self-imposed penalties. Alabama had self-imposed a $5,000 fine, disassociated the booster and suspended Davis from a 2015 game. His replacement, Karl Dunbar, was barred from off-campus recruiting or telephone contact with recruits from April 22 through May 31, 2016.
Alabama fired Davis in April 2016. The show cause extends through April 13, 2019.
Davis is currently the defensive line coach for Texas-San Antonio. Under the show cause ruling, he won’t be allowed to recruit off-campus for two years and must attend NCAA Regional Rules Seminars in 2017 and 2018.
Athletic director Lynn Hickey said Texas-San Antonio is reviewing the NCAA findings but remains “strong to our commitment to Coach Davis and his family.”
“In the research that we did prior to making the position offer to Coach Davis, we received positive responses about him from his previous employers and his role in their programs,” Hickey said in a statement. “We feel very comfortable with the upside and opportunity this hire provides our program, in that we have gained an outstanding coach and teacher for our young men.
“We will be diligent in working with the NCAA and Coach Davis to comply with the directives that he has been given by the NCAA.”
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne was happy that the NCAA agreed with the steps his school has taken.
Bryrne, named the AD in March, said the university was “pleased that the NCAA affirmed that our cooperative approach to this matter was timely and appropriate.”
“The university will continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to compliance, as reflected in our self-imposed actions taken in this case.”
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