Tuesday, March 11 Bonnies trustee Swan vows full disclosure ahead Associated Press |
||||||||||
OLEAN, N.Y. -- After a scandal abruptly ended St. Bonaventure's season, the head of the board of trustees vowed Monday night there would be "no cover-up'' of why an ineligible athlete was allowed to play.
"When all the facts are known, we will better know the specific actions we will take for the future,'' William Swan told a crowd of about 800 students at this small Catholic school. "We will not sacrifice our values for anything, not even athletic glory.
"I will work tirelessly to uphold our Franciscan values -- make sure they're never compromised again,'' he said.
Once authorities complete their investigation, "they should (show) the world there will be no cover-up or rationalization,'' Swan said, drawing applause during his speech at the Reilly Center, the school's basketball arena.
Swan addressed students a day after Robert Wickenheiser resigned as university president for approving the signing of center Jamil Terrell.
On March 3, the Atlantic 10 stripped the team of six league victories and barred it from conference postseason play after Terrell was ruled ineligible. A day later, the rest of the players said they would boycott the final two games of the season.
Students and alumni were concerned whether the school's basketball program would survive.
Swan said the trustees were outraged by the controversy and felt compelled to act. In addition to seeking Wickenheiser's resignation Sunday, the trustees placed athletic director Gothard Lane and head coach Jan van Breda Kolff on administrative leave.
Wickenheiser's son, Kort Wickenheiser, was an assistant under van Breda Kolff and was also placed on administrative leave.
The board also appointed a committee to investigate the basketball program, including a potential "irregularity'' involving an athlete's grade.
Following the A-10 sanctions, Wickenheiser took full responsibility for approving Terrell's transfer.
The A-10, whose presidents are scheduled to meet April 1, hasn't ruled out further sanctions against the Bonnies. The NCAA could also launch its own investigation and hand out further penalties.
Terrell, who transferred last year after two seasons at Coastal Georgia Community College in Brunswick, Ga., was ruled ineligible because he didn't have an associate's degree, but earned a certificate in welding at his former school. |
|