The NCAA has placed Temple on probation after the University discovered and self-reported that its tennis coach was allowing an ineligible player to take the court. Yes that's right, the entire sports program, including the bread-winning men's basketball team and blossoming women's hoops squad, is on probation because of the tennis team.
The coach, who was fired on April 12, 2005, hid the scheme by
mumbling the name of the student-athlete during pre-match introductions
and by asking opponents to skip formal introductions altogether, the
NCAA said.The school and Hoehne were cited for violations including fraud and erroneous student-athlete eligibility certifications.
The men's tennis team received a one-year ban from the postseason
and must forfeit all matches in which an ineligible student-athlete
played during the 2004-05 academic year, the NCAA's Division I
committee on infractions said. The Owls were 3-9 that season.
So after coming up with the foolproof plan of masking the identity of the ineligible player by mumbling, Coach Hoehne still finished the season with an abysmal record. Everyone knows if you cheat, you'd better win.
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>>Temple on NCAA probation [Inqy via AP]