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Out the door? Report: Two Minnesota athletic officials to be fired
Posted: Friday November 19, 1999 10:34 AM
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Hours before the release of a report on academic cheating in the Minnesota basketball program, two top athletics officials were reported to be on their way out. The Star Tribune and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press each reported Friday that the contracts of McKinley Boston, vice president of student and development and athletics, and men's athletic director Mark Dienhart would not be renewed when they expire next year. The newspapers each cited two unidentified sources close to the university investigation. President Mark Yudof scheduled an afternoon news conference to release the report and an "action plan." University officials have said the report will confirm massive academic fraud. Boston was not available for comment Friday, his administrative assistant said. Dienhart also was not available, said a woman who answered the phone at his office. The report is the result of the university's eight-month investigation into the allegations. Aside from academic cheating, it will confirm improper cash payments to players under former coach Clem Haskins and behavior by faculty members who aided in the fraud, an unidentified source told the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Faculty members involved in the fraud could be fired or face severe disciplinary action, said the source, who was not identified. The investigation began in March, after the Pioneer Press reported that Jan Gangelhoff, a former office manager in the academic counseling unit, claimed to have written more than 400 papers for as many as 20 basketball players between 1993 and 1998. Haskins resigned under pressure in June and received a $1.5 million buyout. He denied knowing about any wrongdoing. Both Boston's and Dienhart's contracts expire June 30. Former university employees say that Dienhart ignored or glossed over problems. Memos show that Boston was told of many of the problems that led to the investigation, including alleged favors to basketball players and conflicts between basketball and academic counseling. But in 1994, he approved separating academic counseling for basketball from the rest of the counseling unit. That, critics say, gave Haskins too much power and made it easier for academic fraud to occur. Although the exact amount won't be announced Friday, the university is expected to repay about $2 million in postseason tournament winnings, an unidentified source told the Pioneer Press. With Haskins' buyout and the $1.5 million cost of the university investigation, the total cost of the scandal to the university will be $5 million. Yudof also was expected to announce his decision on the fates of Jeff Schemmel, senior associate men's athletic director, and Chris Schoemann, athletic compliance officer, the Star Tribune said. Yudof was not expected to announce further sanctions against the men's basketball program Friday, the newspaper added. Yudof earlier banned the men's basketball team from postseason play this season.
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