Show-cause penalty explained

In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a show-cause penalty is an administrative punishment ordering that any NCAA penalties imposed on a coach found to have committed major rules violations will stay in effect against that coach for a specified period of time—and could also be transferred to any other NCAA-member school that hires the coach while the sanctions are still in effect. Both the school and coach are required to send letters to the NCAA agreeing to abide by any restrictions imposed. They must also report back to the NCAA every six months until either the end of the coach's employment or the show-cause penalty (whichever comes first). If the school wishes to avoid the NCAA penalties imposed on that coach, it must send representatives to appear before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions and "show cause" (i.e., prove the existence of good reason) as to why it should not be penalized for hiring that coach.[1] The penalty is intended to prevent a coach from escaping punishment for violations that he/she had a role in committing or allowing—which are generally applied to the school (e.g., lost scholarships, forfeited and vacated wins)--by merely resigning and taking a coaching job at another, unpenalized school. It is currently the most severe penalty that can be brought against an American collegiate coach.

Contrary to popular belief, an NCAA member school is allowed to hire a coach who is under an ongoing show-cause order. However, the show-cause restrictions make it prohibitively difficult for a coach with a show-cause order to get another collegiate job. As mentioned above, any school that hires a coach with an outstanding show-cause order can be penalized merely for hiring them. Additionally, that school could be severely punished if such a coach commits additional violations while the show-cause order is still in effect.[2] Consequently, most schools will not even consider hiring a coach with a show-cause penalty in effect, meaning that it usually has the effect of blackballing that coach from the collegiate ranks for at least the duration of the penalty. Many coaches who receive a show-cause penalty never coach again even after the penalty expires, since a large number of athletic directors and university presidents/chancellors are unwilling to hire someone with a history of major violations due to the potentially disastrous effects the hiring could have on the program.[3]

Notable show-cause penalties

Men's basketball

NOTE: Bliss and Sampson coached against each other in the August 27, 2011 Oklahoma Alumni Legends Game that was decided in sudden death overtime.

Women's basketball

Football

Baseball

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Three-year show-cause for Bruce Pearl . Andy . Katz . Andy Katz . . August 25, 2011 . August 27, 2011.
  2. [Mark Schlabach|Schlabach, Mark]
  3. Web site: The perception and reality of NCAA show-cause penalties. USA Today.
  4. News: Associated Press . Florida Coach Retires At School's Request . . November 1, 1989 . June 8, 2011.
  5. Web site: Huguenin. Mike. Former Gators Basketball Coach Norm Sloan Dies. Orlando Sentinel. April 23, 2015. December 10, 2003.
  6. https://web1.ncaa.org/LSDBi/exec/miSearch?miSearchSubmit=publicReport&key=89&publicTerms=THIS%20PHRASE%20WILL%20NOT%20BE%20REPEATED 1990 Florida infractions report
  7. News: Ex-Baylor coach Dave Bliss resigns after airing of documentary about murdered player . Des . Bieler . . April 3, 2017.
  8. Web site: Kent State shows faith in Rob Senderoff . Dana . O'Neil . ESPN.com . April 21, 2011 . April 21, 2011.
  9. News: Auburn hired Bruce Pearl . Jeff . Goodman . ESPN.com . March 18, 2014 . March 18, 2014.
  10. News: NCAA puts Radford on 2-year probation . Associated Press . ESPN.com . February 24, 2012 . February 27, 2012.
  11. News: NCAA hits Hawaii with one-year postseason ban . ESPN.com . December 23, 2015 . December 23, 2015.
  12. Former Hawaii head men's basketball coach violated NCAA ethical conduct rules . NCAA . December 23, 2015 . December 23, 2015.
  13. https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/former-southern-mississippi-men-s-basketball-coach-acted-unethically Former Southern Mississippi men’s basketball coach acted unethically
  14. News: How Donnie Tyndall's NCAA case may be warning to all head coaches. Wolken. Dan. USA Today. 2016-09-08.
  15. Cite web |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons2019/07/29/donnie-tyndall-promoted-grand-rapids-drive-head-coach-/|title-Donnie Tyndall promoted to Grand Rapids Drive head coach| last=Beard | First=Rod|date=July 29, 2019|website=The Detroit News>T133
  16. Web site: Archived copy . June 29, 2023 . June 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210628020144/https://www.mypanhandle.com/sports/Chipola-hires-donnie-tyndall-as-new-head-men%27s-coach/amp?=twitter_impression . dead .
  17. News: Louisville to appeal NCAA penalties from alleged sex scandal . Myron . Medcalf . ESPN.com . June 15, 2017 . June 15, 2017.
  18. News: NCAA denies Louisville's appeal, rules Cardinals must vacate 2013 national title . Mark . Schlabach . Mark Schlabach . ESPN.com . February 20, 2017 . February 20, 2017.
  19. Web site: University of Northern Colorado Public Infractions Decision . NCAA . December 15, 2017 . December 17, 2017 .
  20. News: Former Northern Colorado coach B.J. Hill given six-year show-cause order . Jeff . Goodman . ESPN.com . December 15, 2017 . December 17, 2017.
  21. Web site: University of Connecticut Public Infractions Decision . NCAA . July 2, 2019 . July 2, 2019.
  22. News: UConn gets 2 years' probation for Ollie violations . Myron . Medcalf . Mark . Schlabach . ESPN.com . July 2, 2019 . July 7, 2019.
  23. News: Pitt basketball, football placed on probation; ex-coach Kevin Stallings dealt show-cause penalty . Tom . VonHaaren . ESPN.com . February 20, 2020 . February 20, 2020.
  24. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/infractions/decisions/Feb2020INF_UPittsburghPrelimNR.pdf 2020 Pittsburgh infractions report
  25. News: Former Penn coach Jerome Allen gets 15-year show-cause penalty . Mark . Schlabach . ESPN.com . February 26, 2020 . February 26, 2020.
  26. Web site: Negotiated Resolution: University of Pennsylvania . NCAA . February 26, 2020 . February 26, 2020.
  27. News: NC State Wolfpack men's basketball program put on 1-year probation; former coach Mark Gottfried gets one-year show-cause order. Mark Schlabach. ESPN. December 20, 2021.
  28. https://iarpcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/NC_State_Public_Case_Decision.pdf NC State infraction report
  29. News: NCAA's latest salvo might have exposed the worst hire in college basketball. Pat Forde. Yahoo! Sports. July 11, 2019.
  30. News: Ex-NC State coach Mark Gottfried and his staff placed on leave at Cal State Northridge. May 6, 2021.
  31. Web site: CSUN Statement on Men's Basketball . . Gomatadors.com . California State University, Northridge . April 8, 2022.
  32. Web site: PRINT Act important for small publishers. May 17, 2018.
  33. News: Lamar Lands On Ncaa Probation . Chicago Tribune . November 8, 1992.
  34. News: Former UNCG assistant gets penalty for gambling . Associated Press . ESPN.com . July 25, 2019 . July 27, 2019.
  35. Negotiated Resolution: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro . NCAA . July 25, 2019 . July 27, 2019.
  36. Web site: Oklahoma St. gets 4-year probation 01/07/1989 | Archives | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle . Chron.com . August 10, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121018082552/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1989_595502/oklahoma-st-gets-4-year-probation.html . October 18, 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
  37. Web site: Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search.
  38. Web site: ESPN.com - Page2 - Outside the Lines:
    NCAA - Toothless Watchdog?
    .
  39. News: USC parts ways with running backs coach Todd McNair . Los Angeles Times . Gary . Klein . July 1, 2010.
  40. Web site: Punishment upheld for former USC football assistant | ATVN.org . www.atvn.org . 22 May 2022 . https://archive.today/20120801145436/http://www.atvn.org/index.php/news/story/042911mcnair_punishment . 1 August 2012 . dead.
  41. News: Jim Tressel, a finalist for president at two universities, said he never plans to coach again. Cleveland . May 5, 2014.
  42. News: UNC banned from 2012 postseason . ESPN.com . March 12, 2012 . March 12, 2012.
  43. Web site: Mike Florio. Bills replace Karl Dunbar with John Blake. Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports. March 17, 2016 . March 15, 2016.
  44. Web site: Sallee. Barrett. December 22, 2020. NCAA places Florida football on probation, coach Dan Mullen given show-cause over recruiting violations. December 22, 2020. cbssports.com.
  45. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2023/07/14/tennessee-football-avoids-bowl-ban-ncaa-hammers-jeremy-pruitt-recruiting-scandal/70194970007/ Tennessee football avoids bowl ban as NCAA hammers Jeremy Pruitt for recruiting scandal
  46. Web site: 2024-08-07 . NCAA punishes Harbaugh for 'unethical conduct' . 2024-08-07 . ESPN.com . en.
  47. Web site: 2024-02-01 . Former Alabama baseball head coach violated wagering, ethical conduct rules . 2024-02-01 . . en.
  48. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/infractions/decisions/Feb2024D1INF_AlabamaPublicNR.pdf Bohannon negotiated resolution