Report: NCAA to interview Vols coach Donnie Tyndall about extra benefits
Tennessee men's basketball coach Donnie Tyndall will meet with NCAA representatives next week concerning reports that players at his previous school received extra benefits, reports ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman.
Tyndall was hired in April by Tennessee to take over the basketball program after compiling a 56-17 record in two seasons at Southern Miss, taking the school to two NIT appearances. He replaced Cuonzo Martin, who took the head coaching job at California.
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Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart confirmed that the NCAA is set to talk to Tyndall. ESPN reports that the meeting will take place on Tuesday.
"They [the NCAA] will come and talk to Donnie,” Hart told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “We still won’t know anything. Eventually they will tell us, ‘OK, here’s what we think happened.’ And they will share information at that point in time.”
According to Bleacher Report, the possible violations stem from "Prop 48" recruits that were not on scholarship receiving improper financial benefits, such as tuition, living expenses and other fees.
CBSSports.com reported that the the NCAA is using Wade O'Connor, an assistant under Tyndall at Southern Miss, as a source in its investigation.
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According to ESPN.com, the players in question are Matt Bingaya and Shadell Millinghaus. Both are academically eligible to play this season.
The NCAA’s enforcement staff have been in Hattiesburg, Miss., the past two weeks, interviewing players and administrators about the violations.
"We have an extensive vetting process with all potential coaching candidates, including very specific conversations with the NCAA and school officials at Southern Miss regarding compliance during Coach Tyndall's tenure there, during which no issues were brought to our attention," Tennessee athletic department spokesman Jimmy Stanton said in a statement.
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