This time it’s the quarterback coach who has been sacked.
UNM assistant coach David Reaves is accused of violating NCAA regulations while he was coaching at the University of Tennessee in 2009. Tennessee received a letter from the NCAA on Wednesday that the university violated NCAA recruiting regulations.
Reaves is mentioned only once by name in the report, but Tennessee blacked out portions of the report, including parts that could have discussed Reaves. Reaves stands accused of requesting that unknown persons make impermissible telephone contact with Tennessee recruits. Widely circulated reports allege that Reaves failed to alert Tennessee officials of improper recruiting contacts made by Orange Pride, a now-defunct group of female UT students. Orange Pride escorted recruits who made on-campus visits.
Athletics Director Paul Krebs said in a statement that UNM is aware of the NCAA allegations.
“We are in full cooperation with the NCAA and will take the appropriate actions based on the findings,” he said. “We understand the severity of NCAA sanctions and the importance of operating under the rules and regulations.”
Reaves was the quarterback coach under former UT head coach Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin, who coached Tennessee for one season, bolted to the University of Southern California and received a separate notice from the NCAA with his own allegations.
The NCAA said that Tennessee’s basketball and football programs committed recruiting violations and failed to promote agreement of NCAA rules within both programs.
The decision came after a 22-month investigation of the Tennessee athletics program. The NCAA notified the school that its coaches and assistants violated 12 rules.
Tennessee has until May 21 to respond to the allegations and is expected to appear at a Committee on Infractions meeting in June. The NCAA will make a final decision after the infractions conference, and any sanctions likely would come several weeks after that.
The Associated Press
contributed to this story.
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