The NCAA has alleged the West Virginia U. football program has committed five major violations and one secondary violation from 2005 through 2009.
The violations span over former head coach Rich Rodriguez’s tenure and current head coach Bill Stewart’s time at the head of the program. Both coaches are alleged to have “failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program.”
In addition, the athletic department failed to adequately monitor its football program to assure compliance regarding the limitations on the number, duties and activities of countable football coaches, according to the NCAA.
The NCAA alleged WVU wrongly used graduate assistants, student managers and other non-coaching staff from 2005 to 2009. The NCAA’s Notice of Allegations read: “the institution’s football program exceeded the permissible limit of the number of coaches when noncoaching sports-specific staff members engaged in on-and-off-field coaching activities.”
The NCAA believes WVU used these noncoaching sports-specific staff members to improve technique and develop fundamental football-related skills, analyze video involving the institution’s or opponent’s team with football student-athletes and attending meetings involving coaching activities.
In Stewart’s time at WVU, those members included Director of High School Relations Pat Kirkland and Director of Player Development Dale Wolfley.
The lone secondary violation is in regards to WVU practices exceeding the weekly hour limit by an hour and 15 minutes from Oct. 22-28, 2006. That was the week leading up to the Mountaineers’ 44-34 loss at Louisville.
WVU must now develop a response to these allegations. Included in this response must be a statement indicating whether Rodriguez and Stewart should have known the involvement of such noncoaching sports-specific staff members was impermissible.
“I have always taken compliance seriously and have sincerely felt our program was very open and transparent. I regret any mistakes that were made or rules that were misinterpreted,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Any errors certainly weren’t made intentionally. I openly discussed my past practices with NCAA investigators and will continue to cooperate fully during this process.
Stewart did not comment on the issue.
The NCAA is also asking WVU for information on scholarship/financial aid, win-loss record over the past four seasons including postseason results, recruiting visit information and obligations concerning live telecasts of contests during the next three seasons, among others.
The University must respond within 90 days of the Notice of Allegations, which is Nov. 5. If WVU is able to respond by Oct. 19, it could shorten the process. If done by Oct. 19, the NCAA would consider the issue at its Dec. 10-11 meetings in Indianapolis. If done by Nov. 5, the NCAA will consider the matter Feb. 11-12 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Luck, Stewart, WVU President James P. Clements, Faculty Athletics Representative John Fisher, former Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Brad Cox and Director of Football Operations Mike Kerin are supposed to attend and present at the meeting.
Stewart and Clements received letters from the NCAA Aug. 4. The letter from carbon-copied to Luck and Big East Commissioner John Marinatto among others.
To prevent these issues from occurring again, Luck said the athletic department developed new job descriptions and employment agreements “which clearly detail permissible and non permissible activities for graduate assistants and other sport-specific personnel.” WVU has reduced the number of graduate assistant positions, restricted the duties of graduate assistants and non-coaching personnel and restructured the student manager program. WVU has also expanded rules education and monitoring programs.
Luck said the athletic department may take additional actions.
“For the past nine months, we have fully cooperated with the NCAA in the identification of potential rules violations in the football program,” Luck said. “Because of our strong commitment to compliance, we implemented significant changes intended to ensure that those mistakes did not continue, and that they will not happen again.”
Luck said he has spoken to Stewart and his staff and is “convinced that they believe in operating a fully compliant football program.”
Luck added: “Coach Stewart and his coaches have my full support, the full support of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the full support of the University.”
Clements initiated the University’s assistance through the General Counsel’s Office, Luck said. Clements referred all comment to Luck on the situation.
The NCAA investigation is still ongoing, so Luck could make no further comment.
The NCAA visited Morgantown in February to look into the WVU football program for violations that occurred. Luck said the NCAA interviewed more than 80 people.
“The University has fully cooperated with the NCAA during this process,” a University statement read at the time. “West Virginia University and its Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to operating its athletic program in conformance with the legislation and policy of the NCAA and the Big East Conference.”
In June, The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, W.Va., claimed WVU had self-reported violations to the NCAA involving having too many football coaches present during practice.
The newspaper said “informed rumors” alleged Kirkland and Wolfley were coaching the team during practice, which would put WVU over the amount of coaches according to NCAA regulations.
Kirkland took over as an assistant coach two times in his career at WVU. He coached the 2008 Fiesta Bowl and the 2010 Gator Bowl after other assistant coaches left for different programs. In January, he coached WVU’s tight ends after Doc Holliday left to become the head coach at Marshall.
The newspaper also reported WVU had placed sanctions on its football program because of the infraction.
Luck said at the time he was aware of a situation, but did not divulge any self-sanctions.
“I don’t have any of the details, but I will say that in my experience WVU has certainly taken compliance extraordinarily seriously, and as I get more information, we will continue to have a very vigilant athletic program,” Luck said in June.
Luck ended the statement by saying: “As Mountaineers it is in our DNA – in our very nature — to stand strong, to stand together, and to stand firm when we face challenges – whether on the field or off. As we approach the coming season, let us do so with pride in our University, passion in our football team and persistence in our mission. And, most importantly, let us stand together with our Mountaineers.”