Sweeping scandal involving Chuck Person at AU is ugliest side of college athletics
With the obvious exception of something as unspeakable as the Sandusky child sex abuse scandal at Penn State, the federal corruption sting that has netted, among others, Auburn assistant basketball coach Chuck Person is a money-green spotlight on the worst in big-time college sports.
As summarized by federal attorney Joon H. Kim: “Coaches at some of the nation’s top programs taking cash bribes, managers and advisers circling blue-chip prospects like coyotes, and employees of a global sportswear company funneling cash to families of high school recruits.”
If any of that sounds familiar, it’s a larger-scale, higher-dollar version of the travel team scandal that shook the city government not so many years ago.
As reported in the Opelika-Auburn News, Person and custom clothier Rashan Michel, a former pro and college sports official, are alleged to have arranged bribes from sports agents in exchange for steering top prospects to certain agents and financial advisers. In all, Person is said to have collected more than $90,000 from one agent — except that this was not a sports agent but an undercover FBI informant. Michel, according to the O-A, allegedly told the “agent” that he could put him in contact with coaches, specifically including Person, who would accept money for such deals.
“The picture of college basketball painted by the charges,” Kim said, “is not a pretty one.”
Indeed. As reported by Associated Press, court papers indicate some top recruits were promised up to $150,000 to attend two Adidas-sponsored universities, later identified as Louisville and Miami.
Person isn’t involved in that part of the case, but he’s in enough trouble as it is. The federal case evidence includes one phone conversation intercepted by wiretap in which Person allegedly tells a recruit’s mother that the sports agent to whom he’s trying to steer her son is not only his (Person’s) own “financial adviser” but also former Auburn and NBA star Charles Barkley’s.
He’s charged with six federal counts involving bribery conspiracy, wire fraud, solicitation of bribes and gratuities and related charges that could net him up to 80 years in prison. Facing similar charges in the same case are assistant coaches at Arizona, Oklahoma and Southern California.
Auburn suspended Person indefinitely, without pay, following the revelation of the federal charges. University President Steven Leath said in an interview with ESPN that a U.S. attorney in New York involved with the case had told him Auburn was not the primary target of the probe, though Person was deeply involved.
“I don’t think anybody else knew,” Leath told the O-A News. “I don’t think there’s any indication at Auburn that anybody else knew about this.” That would include, presumably, head basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Even so, Auburn has offered refunds to anyone who had already purchased basketball season tickets.
Nobody in this case has been tried, much less convicted, of any crime. Still, the New York attorney is right. This is a very ugly picture.
This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Sweeping scandal involving Chuck Person at AU is ugliest side of college athletics."