LSU Fotopoulos

[surfer]

Read this on LSU message board:

Should LSU's women's soccer coach George Fotopoulos be fired for giving money to players when he was at the University of Tampa? Because of his actions UT is on probation now. When the story broke several months ago, I did not pay too much attention to it. The findings of the LSU internal investigation of its football program have awoken me to the severity of Fotopoulos' actions.
I can't believe Fotopoulos is Scot-free at LSU while UT is on probation. He caused their program to be on probation, yet he is the one who was not truly punished and got a promotion where he still coaches. How would we feel if it were the other way around?

When Mumme at UK was fired for what he claimed were not his actions and UK was put on probation SLU took a lot of slack for hiring him. Mumme even did his penitence and sat out from coaching for a couple of years. Here Fotopoulus is, despite there being no dispute about who the payments were from. He was not fired, he did not sit out a year.

LSU supposedly punished Fotopoulus, "including a freeze of Fotopoulos' salary, a restriction on off-campus recruiting and mandatory meetings with the school's compliance department." Well, his salary from what I know has been restored, he can still recruit on campus, and I'm sure those few "mandatory meetings with the school's compliance department" were just awful! Guess what? He's coaching here next year.

Should he be?

Would you want a cheater who skips town for a better job while others get punished to be your coach? What if by his stupid and selfish actions he got the entire LSU AD on probation, took a promotion at UNC (women soccer dynasty), and continued coaching? Would we go to the UNC boards and tell them to fire Fotopoulos?

Most of you don't give a hoot about LSU women's soccer. With a confessed cheater at the reigns of an athletic program at LSU, maybe you should. His actions in the future could determine the fate of the entire LSU AD.

My opinion about this subject changed this week.

www.sptimes.com/2002/04/03/Sports/NCAA_puts_UT_on_proba.shtml

[punkin]

um, he said he was sorry

[wise]

Tell that to university of tampa.

I don't think he is paying the LSU girls enough money. They were picked dead last n the SEC. Again. Oh well, remember that we only care about helmet ball and sweaty behemouths.

[debest]

LSU does not care about soccer. they hired Foto because of the name of his wife. He has done a good job but LSU soccer will find itself in trouble soon enough. They (LSU) can never seem to make a good hire in this sport. Do some research before the hire.

[Goodref]

George is a WHO DAT good coach. The ladies respect and like him. Blame it on LSU for not giving him enough money to recruit. Thanks LSU soccer for giving us some great seasons.

[socme]

George is a good coach but not enough money come on now. LSU doesnt have money problems in any sport. They have enough money to get in trouble if they are not careful. Be smart about what you say.

[Goodref]

I guess you don't know how the money is generated for the different sports. It's not a big bucket that anyone can take out. The soccer program is allocated it's money, and it does not have enough to travel and recruit as needed.

[Unbelievable]

I found this at www.ncaa.org under the infractions press releases. It is availible to the public. Take some time to read the full report. It is 13 pages long but WOW. You will be amazed. I wonder if Coach Saban would still be employed had he done things like this?

1998

August 27 - The head women's soccer coach arranged a $3,500 contribution from his father for payment of a portion of the educational expenses for a women's soccer student-athlete.

Fall - The head women's soccer coach engaged in a number of NCAA recruiting violations including the provision of housing, transportation and furniture to student-athlete A (a prospect at the time) and prospect 1 who had moved to Tampa in anticipation of attending the institution. Additionally, the head women's soccer coach directed the activities of the two young women in impermissible club practices and made impermissible contacts with one of the prospects and her family.

1999

August - The head women's soccer coach provided an envelope containing $1,500 each to student-athletes A and B as payment toward tuition and fee charges, and then gave student-athlete B an additional $200 cash for books.

December 23 - The head women's soccer coach accepted the position of head women's soccer coach at a NCAA Division I institution and began his duties during early January 2000.

2000

January 16 - The head women's soccer coach provided $1,500 cash each to student-athletes A and B for payment toward tuition and fee charges.

January 19 - The director of athletics and the compliance coordinator formally interviewed student-athlete A and notified the Sunshine State Conference of possible violation and initiation of institution's inquiry.

January 19 - The head women's soccer coach denied providing any funds to student-athlete A in a telephone conversation with the director of athletics. The director of athletics and the compliance coordinator interviewed student-athlete B.

January 28 - The outside investigator/consultant gathered institutional records and reinterviewed student-athletes A and B.

February 11 - The institution notified NCAA enforcement staff that an institutional investigation had commenced.

February 24 - The institution interviewed the head women's soccer coach on the campus of his current employing institution, during which the coach denied providing any funds to student-athletes.

April 18 - The head women's soccer coach voluntarily traveled to Atlanta to meet with the outside investigator and acknowledged that he had provided false and misleading information to the institution on February 24 and acknowledged that he had arranged for improper payment of tuition and fee expenses for student-athletes A, B and C.

August 25 - The institution submitted a self-report to the NCAA enforcement staff.

2001

October 11 - The summary disposition report is completed by the enforcement staff and the university.

October 29 - The report was reviewed by the Division II Committee on Infractions during a telephone conference call.

November - In a series of letters and telephone calls, the committee and the university came to a preliminary agreement regarding the institutions self-imposed penalties, including a modification of one of these penalties.

December 13 - The university's director of athletics formally notified the committee that the university agreed to the modified penalty.

2002

April 2 - Infractions Report No. 196 is released.

Related Information - News Release

[tiiger]

I can tell you that LSU does fund its soccer program adaquately whoever you got this lack of funding info from is completely wrong. LSU has the highest soccer budget in the state and one of the best in the SEC. Yes, Florida does have a bigger budget but LSU compares favorable to ever other school. The budget does not include funny money if that is what is needed to recruit to LSU and it is not supposed to. LSU soccer has not been strong but it is getting better under Coach Foto however is probation worth it!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Tuesday, April 2, 2002 Jane Jankowski
Assistant Director for Public Relations
317/917-6222


UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA CASE RESOLVED THROUGH SUMMARY DISPOSITION PROCESS



INDIANAPOLIS---The Division II Committee on Infractions utilized the summary disposition process to complete a case involving several self-reported violations in the women's soccer program at the University of Tampa.

The summary disposition process is a cooperative effort used to resolve major violations through a written record rather than a hearing before the group. The process is used when the university, involved individuals and the NCAA's enforcement staff agree on the facts of the case and that those facts constitute a major violation.

Violations in this case included bylaws governing extra benefits, recruiting, improperly administered financial aid, impermissible employment in summer camps, tryouts, improper administration of outside income and ethical conduct.

The head women's soccer coach, the individual primarily involved in all the violations, had accepted employment at a Division I institution during the time of the investigation of this case. Penalties imposed by the Committee on Infractions in this case involve both universities.

The former Tampa coach provided improper financial aid to three soccer student-athletes during the 1998-99 and 1999-00 academic years. In addition, the coach provided transportation and housing to two prospective international student-athletes, conducted impermissible tryouts by his involvement with the two prospects while providing coaching instruction to a girls' soccer club team.

Specifically, the coach arranged for a $3,500 payment from his father to a student-athlete to pay tuition and fees during the fall of 1998 after learning that the student-athlete's athletics aid was not available. About a year later, the coach provided $1,500 each to two student-athletes to assist with tuition and fees. After leaving Tampa, he provided $3,000 to two student-athletes for tuition and fees and instructed them to split the money.

The coach acknowledged that procedures were in place at Tampa to raise funds to supplement budgeted athletics aid amounts. In the first instance, the coach's father could have made a donation to the women's soccer general account. However, the coach said he did not think that the student-athlete's account would be paid in a timely manner, so he instructed his father to make a direct payment to her account.

When he provided $3,000 to student-athletes after his departure from Tampa, the coach said he did so because he did not want to leave unmet scholarship promises. According to NCAA bylaws, he was a representative of Tampa's athletics interests at the time.

The Committee on Infractions also found that the coach violated the principles of ethical conduct. The coach knew that direct payments of tuition and fees to a student-athlete from an outside source were a violation of NCAA rules. Also, on two occasions, he provided false information about the provision or arrangement of cash to student-athletes.

In response to the violations, Tampa self-imposed the following corrective actions and penalties, which were adopted by the committee:

Enhanced its compliance program since hiring a new director of athletics in the fall of 1999, including implementing annual planning, resource allocation, education programs, financial aid monitoring, camp controls, monitoring of club team involvement and written policies and procedures.

Completed a comprehensive external compliance review in September 2001.

Promoted the women's volleyball coach to assistant athletics director. That individual assists the other assistant director of athletics with compliance matters.

Instituted monthly compliance meetings and a formal orientation program for coaching staff members.

Improved monitoring of outside financial aid received by student-athletes, including adding a form for student-athletes to identify all aid received, which is then reconciled with the aid offered through the financial aid office.

Implemented summer camp documentation and controls.

Initiated a system that requires coaching staff members to notify the compliance coordinator before becoming involved with a local club team.

Developed and distributed an athletics department policy and procedure manual.

The head soccer coach's current employer imposed the following penalties on May 12, 2000:

Salary freeze.

Ineligibility to receive extra compensation.

No visits by international prospective student-athletes for one year.

Mandatory educational workshops for soccer staff.

No off-campus recruiting for six months.

Mandatory monthly meeting with compliance department for one year.

Mandatory attendance at all monthly staff meetings for one year.

The head coach's wife will not be permitted to serve as a volunteer coach.

All information regarding the case was to be reported to the compliance coordinator.

On November 14, 2001, additional sanctions were imposed. These are:

The head women's soccer coach will remain on probation until May 11, 2003.

A salary freeze remains until the university determines merit.

The coach will be ineligible for additional compensation.

Mandatory monthly meetings with the compliance department will continue during the probationary period.

The coach's wife will not be allowed to serve on the coaching staff in any capacity.

The coach will be required to attend monthly meetings with the senior woman administrator on the overall progress of the soccer program and its growth.

The university retains the right to terminate the coach immediately if there are additional NCAA or university rules violations.

The Committee on Infractions and Tampa agreed on the following penalties:

Public reprimand and censure.

One year of probation beginning on April 2, 2002.

The total amount of athletics aid provided in women's soccer was reduced by $20,000 from the original budgeted amount over the 2000-01 and 2001-02 academic years. The $20,000 reduction represents a two-for-one dollar repayment for the aid improperly distributed in previous years. During the 2002-03 and 2003-04 academic years, women's soccer grants-in-aid will be limited to the value of no more than four equivalencies in each year.

The women's soccer program did not provide initial athletically related financial aid to international students during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 academic years.

The women's soccer program was limited to no more than seven official paid visits per year for the 2000-01 academic year and five in 2001-02. That is a reduction of approximately three and five visits per year, respectively, from the level that otherwise would occur.

The university withheld one student-athlete from all outside competition (five contests) during the 2000 spring term as the university conducted its investigation. The three student-athletes involved in violations were required to repay funds as a condition of eligibility reinstatement.

The men's head soccer coach received a letter of reprimand for failing to properly administer summer camps he operated with regard to the employment of prospective and enrolled student-athletes.

During the probationary period, the university will continue to develop and implement a comprehensive education program on NCAA legislation and submit periodic reports to the NCAA. At the end of the probationary period, the university's president will provide a letter to the committee affirming that the university's current athletics policies and practices conform to all requirements of NCAA regulations.

As required by NCAA legislation for any institution involved in a major infractions case, Tampa is subject to the NCAA's repeat-violator provisions for a five-year period beginning on the effective date of the penalties in this case, April 2, 2002.

The members of the Division II Committee on Infractions who completed this case are: Les Brinson, chair, professor of psychology, North Carolina Central University; Larry Blumberg, professor of mathematics and statistics, Washburn University of Topeka; Michael Marcil, commissioner, North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference; and Julie Warrington, assistant athletics director, University of Northern Colorado.

A copy of the complete report from the Division II Committee on Infractions is available on NCAA Online at www.ncaa.org.

--30--

[1000 Miles Away]

In a discussion of women's soccer many states away, when they learned I was from Louisiana the conversation turned to Foto with the following unsolicted quote:

"He has nine lives. It is amazing that any soccer coach with the list and variety of documented infractions he has accumulated is coaching anywhere; astounding that it is in Division I."

[swlasoccerfan]

I just wanted to revive a thread that was 5 years old

[timaeus]

That's incredible.