The Kansas City-based National Association of Basketball Coaches said Wednesday that this week's announcement of federal corruption charges against four NCAA assistant coaches does not represent the college basketball coaching profession as a whole.
"Tuesday's allegations of recruiting improprieties across the college basketball landscape have shaken the game the coaching profession to the core," NABC executive director Jim Haney in a statement. "As role models and leaders of young men, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of lawful, ethical behavior _ on and off the court.
"These actions, if proven true, are not indicative of the character of the greater college coaching community, and we remain confident in our NABC members' shared commitment to integrity. Should the progression of this case ultimately indicate a pressing need for reform within our sport, the NABC unquestionably will be on the forefront of those efforts."
The three-year FBI probe focused on coaches being paid tens of thousands of dollars to steer NBA-bound players toward sports agents, financial advisers and apparel companies.
The fallout began Wednesday, when Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich reportedly were fired, one day after the FBI announced its wide-ranging probe of college basketball which resulted in bribery and fraud charges.
