Baylor announces inquiry findings

[MeanGreen61]

Baylor announces findings from basketball inquiry

By JIM VERTUNO, AP Sports Writer

February 26, 2004

WACO, Texas (AP) -- Former Baylor basketball coach Dave Bliss made improper payments to students, including a player who was killed last summer, the school president said Thursday.

Citing a report by a school-appointed committee, president Robert Sloan accused Bliss of allowing major NCAA infractions during his four-year stay.

The report on the basketball program was ordered after Patrick Dennehy was found dead in July and another player was charged with his murder. Bliss resigned in August.

The committee found evidence that Bliss paid the tuition for Dennehy and another player during the 2002-03 season and the program did not report some players' failed drug tests, Sloan said.

Sloan said the world's largest Baptist university shared in the responsibility for allowing the program to go unchecked.

``There were red flags that should have been noticed,'' Sloan said.

Sloan said the school will report the committee's findings, along with self-imposed sanctions and corrective measures, to the NCAA early next week.

Baylor lawyers appointed by the school administration have been reviewing evidence of reported NCAA rules violations under Bliss and his staff. The committee will present the full report to regents meeting at the campus this week.

Dennehy was reported missing in June and his body was found a few weeks later. Former teammate Carlton Dotson was charged with his shooting death and is jailed in Waco awaiting trial.

``The university also has determined that the former coach engaged in unethical conduct by making the payments and engaging in an effort to conceal his activity and providing false information to the university's investigators,'' Sloan said.

Among other NCAA infractions found, members of Bliss's coaching staff arranged for meals, transportation, lodging and clothing for more than one athlete or prospective athlete, Sloan said.

Coaches also improperly paid tuition and fees to another institution on behalf of a prospective student before the player's enrollment at Baylor, he said.

Bliss violated NCAA rules by soliciting representatives of the school's sports interests to make charitable contributions to an organization that sponsored amateur league basketball -- teams that included prospective team athletes. The contributions amounted to at least $87,000 and involved at least 17 people, including two regents, Jim Turner and Wes Bailey.

Bliss has moved to Lakewood, Colo., a Denver suburb, where he works at a sporting goods store. He has declined to comment.

Bill Underwood, a member of the investigations committee, said the panel was in contact with Bliss last week, and the coach pointed the panel toward further violations, including improper lodging for players.

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Remember, this is information that Baylor is willing to share; it is probably only the tip of the iceberg!

_________________

"The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men." --Samuel Adams

[CorinthEagle]

Bliss has moved to Lakewood, Colo., a Denver suburb, where he works at a sporting goods store. He has declined to comment.

ok this is dark, but do you think he ever thinks twice before he sells someone a gun?

[yyz28]

You know... I wanna beat them on the field/court, but I feel sorry for the Baylor crowd... this really sucks... think about how we'd feel right now...

[Gator]

Seems Baylor, a private church school, was just fullfilling their mission by feeding, clothing and housing those less fortunate among their student body. The death aside, if you think these same things arent going on across the body of college sports you are out of touch. Dan Jenkins wrote about it years ago; and it still goes on today. Many NCAA rules simply need to be changed. Lots of kids need more than a bit of meal money; dont say I favor salaries for ballplayers.

Colorado currently is the most visible, but plenty of others are "entertaining" potential players. Notre Dame went after a Calif. kid, Nic Costa, now at Arizona. In articles later printed Costa told of parties with drugs and excessive alcohol use. Colorado is about to be hammered, Notre Dame received a pass from the NCAA. The press never bothered to follow up on the allegations. Always has been untouchables.

[NT80]

Can Bliss be charged legally with anything? I know he resigned, but is he liable for any damages done to BU or it's players? It seems too many times a guilty coach just leaves his trash behind for someone else to clean up. There should be lifetime coaching bans on people like this and legal consequences.

[VideoEagle]

After the SMU mess in the '80s, the Texas Legislature at least debated a law that would make people legally liable if their actions caused NCAA sanctions. I don't think it got anywhere - the NCAA, without real legal authority, would have a hard time getting anyone to talk if real legal penalties could result.

[BUNT]

Some personal liability certainly seems in order for coaches. You honestly don't believe the Baylor administration condoned this behavior? This was a coach acting on his own - loose cannon style. Sure, there should have been some tighter institutional controls, and hopefully with the AD's resignation these will be implemented.

I'm willing to bet if a death of this nature occurred in any program at any school, the ensuing investigations would reveal some petty violation of some sort. Clearly, the coach paying for tuition out of his pocket to cover a "scholoarship" and Bliss' subsequent attempt to shut the players up when talking to police are stupid, major infractions - how about obstruction of justice here for Bliss? Other infractions revealed in the investigation such as paying tuition for players finishing up at a JUCO is also stupid. But, I'm willing to bet there isn't a coach or AD in the country who isn't / hasn't looked back to see if a meal or two was inappropriately paid for.

I'm betting Baylor has gone over this with a fine tooth comb. Much better to discover everything yourself and report it to the NCAA than for them to come by and find all kinds of stuff. Kind of like when I discipline my kids - its a little lighter if I find out they told the truth about something stupid they did rather than find out they tried to trick me.