Auburn reinstates suspended basketball assistant
Auburn reinstated assistant basketball coach Ira Bowman, who had been on administrative leave amid an investigation into his potential role in an alleged bribery scheme at his former employer, Penn.
He was suspended in March, days before the Tigers opened play in the SEC tournament. The Tigers went on to the Final Four.
"After a thorough review of all available facts and information, Ira Bowman has fully resumed his role and responsibilities with the Auburn men's basketball program," the university said in a statement released Saturday.
The allegations came to light in March when former Penn head coach Jerome Allen testified in a medical fraud case in federal court that a Florida businessman paid him approximately $300,000 to get his son into the school through a spot on the basketball team. He said Bowman, 45, was aware of the arrangement and after Allen was forced to resign from Penn in March 2015, he arranged for Bowman to have access to the money to continue the arrangement.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl hired Bowman, a Penn alum, before this season. Bowman replaced former assistant coach Chuck Person, who was arrested in 2017 in connection with the FBI's investigation into college basketball corruption. Person pleaded guilty to bribery charges in March.
--Field Level Media
