Download the July 2019 University of Central Florida Negotiated Resolution
The former University of Central Florida head women’s cross country/track and field coach violated NCAA head coach control rules when she did not promote an atmosphere for compliance and failed to monitor a former assistant women’s cross country coach, according to a negotiated resolution agreement approved by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. The former assistant coach violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when he refused to participate in an interview with the NCAA enforcement staff after separating from the university.
This case was processed through the new negotiated resolution process. The process was used instead of a formal hearing or summary disposition because UCF, the former head coach and the enforcement staff agreed on the violations and the penalties. The former assistant coach declined to participate in the process. The Division I Committee on Infractions reviewed the case to determine whether the resolution was in the best interest of the Association and whether the agreed-upon penalties were reasonable. Negotiated resolutions may not be appealed and do not set case precedent for other infractions cases.
According to the agreement, the head coach and assistant coach allowed a prospect to participate in morning team workouts, despite being told by compliance she could not participate in the practices until she enrolled at the university. The prospect knew about the workouts because the former assistant coach included her on team text messages. The former head coach believed the prospect was working out as a part of the assistant coach’s track club team, not as a prospective student-athlete. Further, she did not follow up with the assistant coach to ask whether that was the case. The head coach also acknowledged allowing the prospect to participate in an intrasquad meet when she was not enrolled at the university.
Central Florida and the enforcement staff used ranges identified by the Division I membership-approved infractions penalty guidelines to agree upon Level II penalties for the university and former head coach and Level I penalties for the former assistant coach. The head coach participated and agreed upon penalties related to her violations Those penalties, approved by the Committee on Infractions, are detailed below:
- One year of probation.
- A one-year show-cause order for the former head coach. During that period, should she become employed at an NCAA school, she must be suspended from one contest, required to attend monthly compliance meetings and restricted from on-campus recruiting from Oct. 1, 2019, through Dec. 1, 2019.
- A five-year show-cause order for the former assistant 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.
- Reduction of women’s cross country scholarships by 2% during the 2019-20 academic year.
- An eight-week ban on all women’s cross country off-campus recruiting between Jan. 3 and March 7, 2018 (self-imposed by the university).
- A $5,000 fine.
Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from NCAA membership and members of the public. The members of the panel who reviewed this case are Carol Cartwright, president emerita at Kent State and Bowling Green; Kay Norton, president emeritus of Northern Colorado; and David Roberts, administrator at Southern California and vice chair of the Committee on Infractions.