Mizzou's Haith Faces NCAA Allegations

Missouri's Haith faces NCAA notice of allegations in Miami-Shapiro case

By Jeff Goodman | College Basketball Insider
January 21, 2013 3:53 pm ET

The NCAA is expected to release a notice of allegations as early as this week regarding the Miami investigation. A source close to the situation told CBSSports.com that former Hurricanes and current Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith is expected to be charged with unethical conduct and failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance.

Haith's unethical conduct could result in a multiple-year show-cause penalty. Former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl received a three-year show-cause penalty after being charged with unethical conduct back in 2011 when he initially wasn't forthcoming about hosting recruits at his home on unofficial visits -- which is against NCAA rules.

The source told CBSSports.com that the NCAA was unable to prove the allegation from Miami booster Nevin Shapiro that Haith or anyone on his staff paid $10,000 to a family member of former player DeQuan Jones. However, Haith will be charged with unethical conduct because the NCAA did not believe his story that payments to his assistants intended for camp money did not wind up going to repay Shapiro, who made the allegations to Yahoo Sports back in August of 2011. A source said that the money was delivered to Shapiro's mother -- who verified the payment to the NCAA.

Haith will also be charged with a failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance due to impermissible airline travel that was given to the family of two players from a member of his staff and also the interaction between Shapiro and players while on visits.

The source also said the three assistants previously on Haith's staff -- Jake Morton, Jorge Fernandez and Michael Schwartz -- each will receive unethical conduct charges. Morton is currently at Western Kentucky, Fernandez left Marshall after last season and Schwartz is on the Fresno State staff.

Those involved in the case will have up to 90 days to respond in writing before a hearing in front of the Committee on Infractions, which likely will be held in mid-June. A decision on the penalties will be handed down to Haith, his staff and those involved in the football aspect of the investigation anywhere from 4-6 months after the hearing. The notice of allegations was expected to be released as early as Tuesday, but a source told CBSSports.com that it could be withheld for another week or two possibly because of procedural questions.

"With everything that's happened recently with the Shabazz Muhammad case, the Todd McNair case in football, the governor of Pennsylvania suing the NCAA and the NCAA firing a lead investigator in this case, they want to make sure on this one," the source said.

The investigation began nearly two years ago after Shapiro, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for a $930 million Ponzi scheme, told Yahoo Sports that he gave thousands of impermissible benefits, primarily to football players, from 2002 to 2010.