Report: Assistant coaches receive Notice of Allegations in Miami probe
Former and current University of Miami assistant coaches are responding to the Notice of Allegations their schools have received as a result of the NCAA's investigation of Miami athletics, the Miami Herald reported.
Clint Hurtt, a former Miami football assistant coach who is now an assistant at Louisville, plans to fight some of the allegations against him, the Herald reported, although Louisville has not yet released the information contained in his Notice of Allegations. Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich defended Hurtt's character this week, saying he's never broken a rule.
A conference call with the NCAA's Committee on Infractions took place on Friday, according to the Herald, which also noted that former Miami basketball assistant coaches Jake Morton and Jorge Fernandez and former football assistant coach Aubrey Hill filed a motion requesting that their cases to be dismissed because of the missteps the NCAA admitted taking while investigating the case, according to an Associated Press report.
Former Miami football assistant coaches Joe Pannunzio and Jeff Stoutland have not received a Notice of Allegations and are not expected to receive one.
Also on Friday, Miami Board of Trustees chairman Leonard Abess wrote a letter that appeared in the Miami Herald's Opinion section. It read: "Despite the often unwieldy investigation, the [UM], at President [Donna] Shalala's and the Board of Trustees' insistence, has held itself to the highest standards in its model cooperation with the NCAA. While I believe that the [UM] will emerge stronger and more committed than ever to the letter and the spirit in which the NCAA's rules of conduct were established, the trustees respectfully, but firmly, add our own voice to President Shalala's in asking that no further sanctions be imposed ..."
The Atlantic Coast Conference released a statement from commissioner John Swofford, which read, "We are supportive of Miami's continued efforts to work with the NCAA on bringing resolution to this case. Miami's cooperation throughout this process should be commended and they have self-imposed significant sanctions. They've been forthright and diligent in their efforts to fully cooperate with the NCAA and it's time for this case to be brought to closure."
