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Printer-Friendly ModeSacked: SVSU releases Awrey
December 3, 2007 —
Randy Awrey, the winningest coach in SVSU football history, was escorted out of his office Friday for what an investigation reported as NCAA rules violations involving him, his two sons, Tony and Bobby, and two assistant coaches.
SVSU issued a press release on Friday saying the University had submitted an infraction report to NCAA based on the investigation, and determined that level one secondary violations were committed by the program during the 2005 and 2007 seasons.
The investigation reports that Awrey was in violation of NCAA bylaw 16, which discusses providing student-athletes with benefits exceeding $100.
According to the investigation, the violation involved Awrey's sons and assistant coaches Jerry Vanisacker and Tesfa Smith receiving preferred housing at the Cardinal Townhomes.
As a result, the University has enacted self-imposed sanctions on the program, reducing the number of football scholarships awarded by two for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years, and is prohibiting assistant coaches Vanisacker and Smith from off-campus recruiting for 30 days.
In addition, the school has forfeited all GLIAC victories during that time, which amounts to 13 games total.
Awrey will remain under contract until Dec. 31, when his current agreement expires. The University will not renew his contract.
SVSU Athletic Director Mike Watson chose not to comment to the Vanguard on the situation.
Bobby Awrey spoke about the University's actions, saying his father is a "strong man" and will come away from the situation just fine.
"I stand behind Coach Awrey obviously 100 percent, as a football player and a son."
Bobby also says personal bias has caused SVSU to "lose a great coach," and that assistant coaches have told him other infractions like this almost never result in the coach being fired.
In addition, he feels his father and former coach had a short leash since his suspension in 2005 for using funds from a youth football camp to buy pizza and fix a cell phone, instead of requesting a voucher from the University.
"It seems like they've been looking for a couple years for something," Bobby said.
Bobby also commented on the situation as it pertains to the players.
"A lot of players don't know what's not in the papers, because he was never allowed to have a meeting with the team and tie things off," Bobby said. "I feel bad because a lot of players don't know the whole situation."
Students gave their reactions to the removal of coach Awrey, and the possible implications it has for the program and the University.
"It takes forever to build something up and it takes only one thing to knock it down," junior nursing major Barb Gordon said. "With the success we had in 2003 in coming close to the national title, that was amazing. This kind of puts us right back to where we started, though."
SVSU soccer player Brock Humphries said he thinks the move won't seriously impact on the team.
"With us on the soccer team, we were crap until we got a new coach and then we set some school records. As long as the coach gets to know his team, he'll have success.
"But after hearing what happened, I think the athletic director did what he had to. It was the right move."
Some students say because of what happened, a new beginning is needed.
"I think starting over could be a good thing." art sophomore Jacob Johnson said. "I feel like the right decision was made based on what happened."
Others say the football team will just have to deal with the change.
"We're now in a transition period," political science senior Aaron Brown said. "This is just one more hurdle the football team will have to over come."
Results of the Awrey investigation:
- An Investigation reported NCAA violations involving Awrey, his sons Bobby and Tony, and assistant coaches Jeremy Vanisacker and Tesfa Smith.
- Based on the investigation, the University determined that level one secondary violations were committed by the program during the 2005 season and a portion of the 2007 season.
- The investigation reports that Awrey was in violation of NCAA bylaw 16, which discusses providing student-athletes with extra benefits exceeding $100. Further, it was reported both sons and assistant coaches were given preferred housing at the Cardinal Townhomes.
- SVSU has enacted self-imposed sanctions on the football program. The football program will reduce the number of scholarships given by two for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years, and will forfeit all GLIAC victories in which the players in question were involved, which totals to 13 games.
- Awrey will remain under contract until Dec. 31, when his current agreement expires. The University will not renew his contract. Athletic Director Mike Watson will run the football program while a nationwide search for Awrey's replacement is conducted. The search will begin immediately.
- Awrey entered into a "barter agreement" with the Cardinal Townhomes, which "exceeded the authority of Head Football Coach Randy Awrey." The agreement traded two apartment leases for SVSU assistant football coaches Smith and Vanisacker in exchange for game sponsorship and advertising at Wickes Memorial Stadium.
- Awrey's attorney Ronald Jersevic says this is true, but contends that Awrey had been authorized by former Athletic Director Griz Zimmerman to enter into barter agreements for several years prior to this in which he traded advertising at the stadium and in programs for everything from car usage from a local dealer to two apartments at the Cardinal Townhomes for assistant coaches who were enrolled in graduate school.
- SVSU football players Bobby Awrey and Tony Awrey received housing at the Cardinal Townhomes for the 2005-06 academic year "at a rental rate which was below market value and was not available to other students at the University" to the tune of $2,907.50.
- In the "background facts" portion of the University's letter to the NCAA, investigators reported a line item of "FB Coach's son. 1/2 rent due," on resident history reports for both of Awrey's sons in 2005-06 - two credits for $1,703.75 each. However, a receipt of $3,407.50 (exactly twice the $1,703.75) paid by Randy Awrey on July 26, 2005, negates the finding.