On June 21, 2009, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball coach John Shulman received the following text message from a future Moc: “Happy Father’s Day!”
Understandably touched, Shulman responded, “Thanks.”
The coach had just broken an NCAA recruiting rule.
“I realize now that that was a violation, but it won’t happen again,” a shaken Shulman said Thursday following UTC’s announcement that it is beginning a two-year NCAA probation for a number of secondary violations involving impermissible or excessive phone calls and texts, including that one.
“I’ve been calling people closest to me in the profession all day to tell them about it,” Shulman said. “They’ve been tough phone calls.”