NCAA gives Donnie Tyndall 10-year show-cause penalty
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Former Tennessee and Southern Miss coach Donnie Tyndall has been given a 10-year show-cause penalty, the NCAA announced on Friday.
The news was first reported by CBS Sports’s Gary Parrish.
Tyndall was given the penalty for his role in NCAA violations while head coach at Southern Miss. Tennessee fired Tyndall in March 2015 after his role in the violations came to light.
The NCAA found Tyndall committed multiple Level I violations at Southern Miss, the most serious infractions in the NCAA rulebook. Tyndall’s violations include:
- Directing members of his staff to complete coursework for seven prospects to they would be eligible to compete.
- Facilitating cash and credit card payments to two prospects.
- Disrupting the investigation by having a staff member fabricate documents and providing false information during interviews.
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In addition to Tyndall's penalty, the NCAA also announced it would punish several assistant coaches. The NCAA also ruled that Southern Miss would have to vacate certain wins, which are still to be announced.
Southern Miss will also have to reduce its basketball scholarships by four over the next three seasons, part of a self–imposed punishment by the university. The school will be on probation from Jan. 30, 2017 through January 29, 2020.
Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said last March the Volunteers would have never hired Tyndall if they were aware of the extent of his misconduct at Southern Miss.
