Report: UCLA Soccer Coach Jorge Salcedo Resigns After Indictment in Admissions Scandal
Longtime UCLA men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo has resigned, an athletic department official reportedly confirmed to the L.A. Times.
Salcedo, 46, was implicated in the nationwide college admissions, cheating and recruitment bribery scheme in which 50 people were charged, including two SAT/ACT exam administrators, one exam proctor, nine collegiate coaches, one college athletics administrator and 33 parents. Salcedo was charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering and placed on leave by the university following his indictment.
The scheme, orchestrated by William "Rick" Singer, worked to help potential students cheat on college entrance exams or pose as recruited athletes regardless or athletic ability to get admitted to high-profile universities through bribery, using a fake charity to launder the money.
Salcedo accepted $200,000 in bribes to help enroll two players, one female and one male, using fake athletic profiles although they did not play soccer competitively, an athletic department official confirmed to the Times.
Lauren Isackson was one of the students admitted under false athletic pretenses, the Times first reported earlier this week. She was accepted to the university in June 2016 as a recruited soccer player after her parents, Bruce and Davina, allegedly paid for her admittance with $100,000 worth of Facebook stock. A student-athlete admissions committee at the school required Isackson to play for at least one year, according to an indictment.
Her profile on the Bruins' 2017 women's soccer team roster lists no statistics for the season but she is listed as a midfielder. Prosecutors said Isackson never played competitive soccer before attending UCLA. Salcedo also received a check for $100,000, drawn from Singer's fake charitable account, in October 2018 for his help in enrolling the son of another prospective student.
The male student did not play competitive soccer for the Bruins but was designated as a recruit for the men’s soccer team by Salcedo and accepted to the university.
Salcedo won three national championships with UCLA as a player in the 1990s. He compiled 182–89–4 record in 15 seasons as the Bruins coach, making 14 NCAA tournaments and appearing in two national championship games in 2006 and 2014.
