Baseball America | Blog | Baseball America College Blog | NCAA Accuses Arizona State Of Rules Violations

The other shoe has dropped in Tempe.

The Arizona Republic reported today that former Arizona State coach Pat Murphy was forced out a day after the NCAA accused ASU of at least one major rule violation for failing to maintain control of its baseball program.

According to the Republic, Arizona State is accused of at least nine violations, including telephone-recruiting violations, impermissible coaching activities, employment of student athletes and relationships with outside contractors. The allegations are preliminary, and the school will have time to respond before the case goes before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in June. But the athletics program is already on probation for a 2005 violation by the football team, so a second major violation within five years could result in multiyear probation, suspension or termination of staff and ASU officials being banned from NCAA leadership positions for up to four years. The baseball program could face a prohibition of competition, including some or all postseason games, and elimination of scholarships and recruiting restrictions.

Murphy told the Republic he could not comment, on the advice of his lawyers.

“It is very frustrating that I am unable to set the record straight and state my side of the story,” he said.

ASU athletics director Lisa Love had told the Republic on Nov. 20 that Murphy resigned on his own initiative and his departure had nothing to do with the ongoing NCAA investigation, which began two years earlier.

Kudos to Robert Anglen and Jeff Metcalfe of the Republic for this fine piece of reporting. Finally, the circumstances surrounding Murphy’s abrupt resignation are coming into focus. It’s not a pretty picture for the Sun Devils.

Lisa Love is a real piece of work. Maybe she didn’t want to pour salt in Murphy’s wounds… so she lied about it not directly related to the investigation; “the” being the key word now, not so much “directly”.

But the NCAA is in essence charging AD Lisa Love and ASU president Micheal Crow with “failure to maintain control of its (seemingly out of control) baseball program”. Lisa Love hit the roof, fired Murphy instead of herself… and issued her cryptic press release saying it was Murphy’s call and it was amicable parting. Ha.

If ASU sins are piling up now, it isn’t all that fair to put it all on the baseball program via baseball sanctions.

http://www.azcentral.com/sport.....urphy.html

Posted by PhxTitan | December 17, 2009 at 12:23 pm | Shortcut

I can’t believe ASU! Using Pat Murphy as a scapegoat is so wrong… You go Coach Murph!

Posted by Jennifer | December 17, 2009 at 12:35 pm | Shortcut

ASU AD Lisa Love comes from USC to ASU in 2005 and “inherits” the legendary hurricane in the form of the intimidating Pat Murphy, the winningest coach in the 2000′s in the Pac 10, not to mention having the second highest 10 yr ISR in the nation for the 2000′s. Try implementing control over that. I’m venturing Murphy wouldn’t let that happen, being oil to Love’s water. They wouldn’t mix, cuz subordinate Murphy wouldn’t subordinate, evidently. The whistle-blower is a true blue, hard core MVP Sundevil himself that Murphy previously said if he wants anybody in the baseball fox hole with him, it’s Mikel Moreno (the whistle-blower, former player/team leader, turned employee of the program). Murphy dumps him, kinda pisses on him as well by the sounds of it… and then get hit with Moreno’s truck… every secret of Murphy’s is revealed via two years of dotting i’s and crossing t’s. Murphy pissed on the wrong Hombre… or two. Ego trumped smarts by the looks of it as well. Obviously Murphy’s leaving wasn’t tied to the investigation! My guess is it was tied directly to insubordination. ;-) Just a guess.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa.....id=3287039

Posted by PhxTitan | December 17, 2009 at 4:53 pm | Shortcut