The perpetually overreaching joke that is the NCAA never ceases to amaze.
Monday, The Association announced that its Division III Committee on Infractions found that the head football coach at Mary Hardin-Baylor had violated his “responsibility rules when he failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance and failed to monitor his staff.” The summary released by the NCAA stated that, "[i]n its decision, the committee said that football staff members, led by the head coach, violated recruiting and extra benefit rules by providing impermissible transportation.”
In its response, the university detailed the egregious transgressions committed by the coach and his staff:The case involved the provision of local transportation by coaching staff and centered around the loan of Fredenburg’s 2006 Subaru to one student-athlete prior to and during the 2016 season and again during the 2017 season. These actions violated NCAA rules, including impermissible benefits, and head coach responsibility.
Mary Hardin-Baylor also self-reported a violation involving Fredenburg’s loan of the same car to another student-athlete for less than one hour before it broke down and had to be towed.
In summation, a total of two football players were given permission to use the head coach’s FREAKING 2006 SUBARU on four different occasions.
Because of that, the university confirmed, the NCAA has, among other punitive measures, stripped the football program of all of its wins and records during the 2016 and 2017 seasons -- including its 2016 national championship. Over the loaning of a FREAKING 2006 SUBARU.
UMHB had previously self-imposed a handful of sanctions, including two years of probation; enhanced compliance training, $2,500 fine; and a three-month suspension without pay and a three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2018 season for head coach Pete Fredenburg. The COI accepted all of those self-imposed sanctions while adding the vacating of wins and records.
Not surprisingly, the university confirmed that it will appeal the vacating portion of the punitive measures.
