Bama baseball coach found guilty by NCAA after betting scandal

Former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon has been disciplined by the NCAA for his role in a gambling scandal which he was fired for last April.

Bohannon, by the NCAA’s word had “violated NCAA wagering and ethical conduct rules when he knowingly gave information to an individual he knew to be betting on an Alabama baseball game.”

As a result, Bohannon has been handed a 15-year show cause by the NCAA. Meaning, for the next 15 years, if a team wants to hire him, he would be suspended for the first five years of his employment.

The NCAA also fined the university $5,000 and placed the program on a five-year probation.

According to the investigation, Bohannon tipped off an individual of information to use in a wager before it was publicized to the NCAA. He reportedly texted the individual “[Student-athlete] is out for sure … Lemme know when I can tell [the opposing team] … Hurry.”

After receiving the information, the bettor, who was identified Wednesday as Bert Eugene Neff, tried to place a $100,000 wager on the game which was flagged by gaming regulators in Indiana and Ohio for suspicious activity.

“Integrity of games is of the utmost importance to NCAA members, and the panel is deeply troubled by Bohannon’s unethical behavior,” said Vince Nicastro, the chief hearing officer.

“Coaches, student-athletes and administrators have access to information deemed valuable to those involved in betting. Improperly sharing that information for purposes of sports betting cuts to the heart of the honesty and sportsmanship we expect of our members and is particularly egregious when shared by those who have the ability to influence the outcome of games.”

The University of Alabama will also have to retain EPIC Global Solutions to provide a program around the harm of these types of things to its athletes, coaches, and administrators.