NCAA finds major violations committed in Wolf Pack golf programs

By: Staff Report

Thursday, March 18, 2010 - 5:11 PM

*Click here to read the entire report by the NCAA.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions found that the University of Nevada, Reno committed major violations in its men’s and women’s golf programs. The case involved multiple extra benefit violations, as well as unethical conduct and a failure to promote rule compliance by the former head men’s golf coach, Rich Merritt, according to an NCAA report.

The NCAA will enforce the following penalties: three years of probation, athletic scholarship reductions, a financial reduction and a two-year show-cause order for the former men’s golf coach.

“We are pleased to have come to (an) agreement with the NCAA as to the facts and the appropriate penalty,” University of Nevada, Reno President Milton Glick said in a press release. “We are in agreement with the NCAA’s decision announced today.”

This case centered on multiple extra benefit violations from fall 2004 through fall 2007, primarily involving Merritt (who resigned). These extra benefits included airline tickets, $325 in cash, as well as impermissible lodging, transportation and meals, among other expenses.

In addition, the committee found the former men’s head coach acted unethically when he knowingly furnished the enforcement staff and university with false and misleading information, failed to protect the integrity of the investigation as requested by the enforcement staff and refused to give information relevant to the investigation.

The committee also determined that Merritt, who was also Nevada’s women’s golf coach at the time, provided a student-athlete with free lodging at her home from Aug. 26, 2007, to Sept. 14, 2007, the report said.

The committee also found that the scope and nature of the violations in the case demonstrated that the former head coach failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the men’s golf program. The coach failed to consult the university’s director of compliance on several occasions and only conceded to his role in the rules violations when he was presented with objective proof, according to the committee, the report said.

“An athletics program is always stronger for having gone through an investigation, an accreditation process or a self-review,” Nevada athletics director Cary Groth said in a press release. “We always strive to improve. We would be remiss if we didn’t seize this as an opportunity to continue to strengthen our program.”

The investigation stemmed from a whistle-blower complaint filed in summer 2007 by former Wolf Pack soccer coach Terri Patraw, who was fired in fall 2007.

“The University of Nevada’s commitment to rules compliance is as high as any of the over 30 universities I have worked with in the past 20 years, and their compliance program is truly one that other universities should look to model,” Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson said in a press release.

The sports staff can be reached at sports@nevadasagebrush.com.

PENALTIES IN THIS CASE INCLUDE:

* Public reprimand and censure.

* Three years of probation from March 18, 2010, through March 17, 2013.

* A limit of 4.0 scholarships in men’s golf for both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, which represents a 0.5 reduction from the maximum allowed by NCAA rules.

* A limit of 5.5 scholarships in women’s golf for both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, which represents a 0.5 reduction from the maximum allowed by NCAA rules.

* A financial penalty of $1,500 for the university.

* Two-year show-cause order for the former head men’s golf coach from March 18, 2010 to March 17, 2012.