NC State University announced Wednesday that it received a Notice of Allegations (NOA) from the NCAA, which stems from an NCAA investigation following the FBI’s investigation into college basketball.
Most critically, the NOA alleges a Level I violation (the highest level) for actions taken during the recruitment of Dennis Smith Jr. Smith played for the N.C. State Wolfpack for one season before being drafted ninth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Smith and “individuals associated with him” received “approximately $46,700 in impermissible inducements and benefits” between September 2014 and March 2017, according to the allegations.
The NOA accuses former head coach Mark Gottfried of the Level I violation for “head coach responsibility,” for not overseeing his staff better during the recruitment. Long-time Gottfried assistant Orlando Early is named in the NOA as the staff member responsible for making sure that Smith and Co. got the money. Gottfried is the current head coach at Cal State Northridge and his contract signed with the school in 2018 includes clauses that claim his innocence:
“Employee confirms to the University that he has had no involvement in, nor knowledge of, any impermissible payments or other impermissible recruiting inducements provided to prospective student-athletes in violation of NCAA rules during his tenure as a Head Coach at previous NCAA member institutions,” according to Gottfried’s contract, obtained through a public records request.
“This confirmation extends to Employee’s actual knowledge of impermissible activities of his assistant coaches and staff members who report directly to him.”
