The NCAA handed down a five-year suspension as part of a 15-year show-cause order against former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon on Thursday, effectively banning him from college coaching, after he provided information to a gambler who used it to make illegal wagers against the Crimson Tide.
The NCAA and Alabama came to a negotiated resolution in the case that involved multiple Level I and II violations, although Bohannon didn’t participate in the investigation. Alabama was hit with three years of probation and a $5,000 fine, and the school also agreed to additional education programming for athletes, coaches and staff members on the potential harms of gambling.
Bohannon was cited for violating NCAA principles of “honesty and sportsmanship” when he provided information about an injury to his starting pitcher to Bert Eugene Neff last April 28, before Alabama played LSU in a Southeastern Conference game. Neff pleaded guilty Wednesday to obstruction of justice in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
Under conditions of the show-cause order, if another school hires Bohannon for a job related to athletics during the next 15 years, it would be required to appear in front of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions to explain why and to suspend him for 100% of regular-season games the first five years of his employment. After those five years, the program would still be subjected to increased penalties if rules violations occurred under Bohannon.
The NCAA released redacted text messages from Bohannon urging Neff to make a big bet against his team, including one that read: “HAMMER … (Student-athlete) is out for sure … Lemme know when I can tell LSU… Hurry.”