Adidas exec, 4 coaches charged in college bribery scheme

NEW YORK — In one of the biggest crackdowns on the corrupting role of money in college basketball, 10 men -- including a top Adidas executive and four assistant coaches -- were charged Tuesday with using hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to influence star athletes' choice of schools, shoe sponsors, agents, even tailors.

Some of the most explosive allegations appeared to involve Louisville, one of college basketball's biggest powerhouses, which is already on NCAA probation over a sex scandal.

Federal prosecutors said at least three top high school recruits were promised payments of as much as $150,000 -- using money supplied by Adidas -- to attend two universities sponsored by the athletic shoe company. Court papers didn't name the schools but contained enough details to identify them as Louisville and Miami.

"The picture of college basketball painted by the charges is not a pretty one," said acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim, adding that the defendants were "circling blue-chip prospects like coyotes" and exploited them to enrich themselves.

Prosecutors said that while some of the bribe money went to athletes and their families, some went to coaches, to get them to use their influence over their potentially NBA-bound players.

The coaches charged are Chuck Person of Auburn, Emanuel Richardson of Arizona, Tony Bland of Southern California and Lamont Evans of Oklahoma State. Person and Evans were immediately suspended.

Those charged also include James Gatto, director of global sports marketing for basketball at Adidas; Rashan Michel, a maker of custom suits for some of the NBA's biggest stars; and various financial advisers and managers.

NCAA President Mark Emmert condemned the alleged misconduct, saying in a statement, "Coaches hold a unique position of trust with student-athletes and their families, and these bribery allegations, if true, suggest an extraordinary and despicable breach of that trust."

Since 2015, the FBI has been investigating the influence of money on coaches and players in the NCAA. Kim noted that a special FBI hotline has been set up and asked anyone aware of additional corruption to come forward.

Prosecutors said the coaches took bribes to use their "enormous influence" to steer players toward certain financial advisers and agents.

Most if not all of the 10 defendants were under arrest. Lawyers for Gatto and three of the coaches did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It was not clear whether Evans had an attorney.
Person, associate head coach at Auburn, was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1986 and played for five NBA teams over 13 seasons.

Prosecutors said Person accepted about $91,500 in bribes from Blazer in 2016 to steer clients to him when they reached the NBA. Some payments were alleged to have been arranged by Michel, a former NBA referee turned high-end clothier.

Person was quoted by prosecutors as telling one player: "The most important part is that you ... don't say nothing to anybody ... don't share with your sisters, don't share with any of the teammates, that's very important `cause this is a violation ... of rules. But this is how the NBA players get it done."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk/adidas-exec-4-coaches-charged-in-college-bribery-scheme/ar-AAsuhOi?li=BBnbfcL

This has been going on for years and years....

Greed. What happens when money comes in.
On the good side, tax dollars weren't involved.

louisville coach Rick Pitino on administrative leave. I would bet that he won't coach again at a major sports college. Sometimes you just get to big for your britches!

And I thought they had a handle on it. What was I thinking? Does it not seem like the corruption has nonchalantly increased over the last 8 years?

Corruption scandal threatens eligibility for college players

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal fraud and bribery scandal shaking college basketball has led to a key question of what will happen to recruits who received money linked to attending certain schools. It could mean the permanent loss of college eligibility for some players for violating a core NCAA rule prohibiting improper benefits. But there's also the chance that some ineligible players could go through the NCAA's reinstatement process and eventually play after sitting out some games.

Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino leaves Grawemeyer Hall after having a meeting with the university's interim president Greg Postel, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, in Louisville. Ky. Louisville announced Wednesday that they have placed Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich on administrative leave amid a federal bribery investigation. (Michael Clevenger/The Courier-Journal via AP)

September 28, 2017

"Some of them will possibly not play depending on how large the benefits or inducements were," said Michael L. Buckner, a Florida-based attorney who has worked on infractions cases. "Others, it's going to impact them some, some of them may have to be withheld (from games). But I think overall, they're going to have that stigma that they were involved in this fraud and corruption scandal."

The case went public Tuesday, with federal prosecutors announcing that 10 men — including a top Adidas executive and four assistant coaches at power-conference programs — were charged with using hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to influence star athletes' choice of schools, shoe sponsors and agents.

Prosecutors also said at least three top high school recruits were promised payments of as much as $150,000, using money from Adidas, to attend two universities sponsored by the company. Court papers didn't name those schools but contained enough details to identify them as Louisville and Miami.
One of the coaches arrested, Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans, was fired Thursday. He is accused of taking $2,000 a month in bribes to funnel athletes to certain agents. In addition, Louisville interim president Greg Postel said Wednesday that one student-athlete has been informed he will not practice or play for the university until the investigation is resolved. Postel and court documents didn't name the athlete but the complaint had enough details to make clear investigators were referring to 6-foot-7 freshman Brian Bowen.

They wont be takin a knee anytime soon.