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I haven't seen this posted yet, so... > Maine suspends Walsh for a year > > University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh has been suspended without pay > for one year by the university, it was announced at a press conference > Thursday in Orono, Me. The suspension, effective Sunday, precedes a report > by the NCAA committee on infractions that is expected in 1996, according to > Athletic Director Sue Tyler. The penalties result from a pattern of > secondary NCAA rules violations. However, other violations were more serious > and, in some instances, were knowingly committed. Serious infractions > include: > > * Walsh received supplemental income from program boosters during his > December 1993 suspension, which violated the terms of his suspension. > * Walsh, his attorney, and a member of Walsh's coaching staff contacted > individuals who were expected to be interviewed by investigators prior > to those interviews, in violation of oral and written directives not to > do so. > * Two boosters, who were married, gave an ice hockey player and his > girlfriend a discount on rent and provided them with other > impermissible benefits during the 1993-94 academic year, in violation > of NCAA rules. Furthermore, the boosters and the student-athlete > conspired to hide the arrangement from the university, the > investigators, and the NCAA. > * Members of the university's ice hockey team accepted promises of a > stipend for competing on the 1992 and 1994 U.S. Olympic hockey teams > after being led to believe by the Olympic teams' administrators that > the stipends were permissible under NCAA rules. They later proved not > to be. > > The 450-page report draws three primary conclusions: > > * Until approximately the middle of 1994, Maine lacked appropriate > institutional control over its athletic programs. > * Until the same time, the university did not provide the resources to > adequately support the institution's athletics compliance > responsibilities. > * Until the middle of that year, the university and Walsh failed to > exercise appropriate control over the ice hockey program. > > "My goal throughout the entire investigation was to cooperate in every > aspect," said Walsh. "My team, my staff and myself have done that well. It's > not for me to judge what an appropriate penalty is, but I can accept the > university's decision." > > "Some of the individual violations, by themselves, may seem insignificant to > some readers (of the report)," University of Maine President Frederick E. > Hutchinson said. "However, when you look at them as a whole, a different, > more disturbing picture forms. It is a picture of failure, The failure, > through 1994, of our compliance monitoring system The violations contained > in the report occurred in the past. Our new system of checks and balances is > much better able to prevent or catch any situations that might be > violations. > > "Though we sincerely regret the many mistakes that were made, we took > appropriate action to acknowledge and resolve them. Just as we deserve > scrutiny for the problems of the past, I hope the university is given credit > for its response to those flaws," said Hutchinson. > > "It's a blemish on college hockey," said Mike Sertich, who is the President > of the American Hockey Coaches Association and the hockey coach at the > University of Minnesota-Duluth. "It's not surprising, but the timing of the > announcement was. It's unfortunate, but it's now out and more or less over. > All the speculation and talk about it can be put to rest and Maine can go > forward." > > The program will lose three scholarships over the next two years. Assistant > coach Greg Cronin will take over the program in the interim, Tyler said. The > University also announced that it will not participate in the 1996 NCAA > hockey championship. Maine won the NCAA championship in 1993 with a record > of 42-1-2 and a team led by Paul Kariya, now with the NHL Anaheim Mighty > Ducks. The Black Bears have participated in the NCAA Final Four five times > under Walsh since 1988. Walsh was named college hockey's coach of the year > in 1995. > > "It's time for us to move forward, like the team has," said Walsh. "Getting > to the national championship last year and being ranked fifth in the country > this year is a good start." > > Maine athletic director Suzanne Tyler said she made a verbal commitment to > Shawn Walsh that he can return as hockey coach when his suspension ends next > December and she expects him to be back. > > ''Assurances were made that he would have his job back,'' Tyler said. ''I > fully expect him to be back. We wouldn't have gone through all of this if we > didn't expect him back.'' > > ''I've said all along that it would have been far easier to terminate him > and get a new coach. But I really feel Shawn wants another chance and this > program wants him back. And I don't want to be without a coach,'' she said. > > Tyler said she hopes Walsh will let her know as soon as possible if he finds > a job that would prompt him to leave permanently. > > Under NCAA guidelines, Walsh cannot coach or scout for a professional hockey > team and still be eligible to return to Maine. Walsh has said he intends to > return to Maine and is looking for a job that will enable him to retain his > eligibility to coach the Black Bears. Andy +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ + + + Andy Weise Let's Go Tech! + + SUNY Potsdam '93 [log in to unmask] + + Union College '95 Let's Go U! + + + + Performance Systems International, Inc. (PSI) + + + + "If you think nobody cares you're alive, try missing a couple of + + car payments." + + + +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.