Haith Asks NCAA To Throw Out Charges
COLUMBIA, Mo. (CBSMiami) – Missouri Tigers head basketball coach Frank Haith asked the NCAA to throw out charges of NCAA violations made against him while he was the head coach at the University of Miami.
According to the Kansas City Star, Haith's attorneys made the motion to dismiss after the NCAA admitted numerous problems during the investigation into the University of Miami over allegations made by disgraced former booster Nevin Shapiro.
Haith joined fellow coaches Jorge Fernandez, Jake Morton, and former Canes assistant football coach Aubrey Hill in requesting the NCAA drop the charges against the coaches for any malfeasance while at Miami, according to the Star.
The motion will go the Committee on Infractions, which is now in charge of the case after the investigation was completed and reviewed earlier this year. The investigation had problems with gaining information through means not allowed by NCAA bylaws among other issues.
As a result of an external review, roughly 20 percent of the case was thrown out for problems with the investigative practices of the NCAA staffers looking at the Shapiro allegations.
The NCAA alleged Haith gave money to assistant coach Morton who then gave the money to Shapiro. Haith was charged with failure to monitor by the NCAA which carries with it recruiting restrictions and other possible penalties.
If Haith was found to have committed the rule-breaking by the Committee on Infractions, he will have to serve out the punishment in his current job at Missouri.
According to the Star, Haith's attorneys said rarely the NCAA has thrown out cases before an official hearing before the Committee on Infractions. If the NCAA doesn't throw out the case, Haith and other former UM coaches will appear before the Committee on Infractions, likely in June or July.
The University of Miami has also asked for the case against it to be dismissed due to the improprieties in the investigative process. UM has been hit with a charge of lack of institutional control, which can carry significant penalties from the NCAA.
It's possible that even if the NCAA hit Miami with additional penalties, it could be years before the penalties are enforced because UM could choose to file a lawsuit against the NCAA.
