WKU’s Morton, NCAA have no timetable on meeting
August 21, 2011
WKU assistant men’s basketball coach Jake Morton has
yet to meet with NCAA officials regarding his alleged involvement
in helping facilitate improper benefits to athletes during his time
at Miami (Fla.).
Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications
Todd Stewart told the Herald on Sunday that there is still no
timetable for when the NCAA will meet with Morton.
Morton, who was an assistant coach at Miami from
2007-2011 and was hired by WKU in June, was accused in a Yahoo!
report on Tuesday of helping Miami athletics booster Nevin Shapiro
set up a transaction for $10,000 to help secure the commitment of
basketball recruit DeQuan Jones.
Shapiro said in the Yahoo! report that Morton set up
the transaction in 2007 and became a middle-man for funds.
Photos of Morton with Shapiro and other Miami
assistant coaches in Shapiro’s VIP suite at a Miami night club,
where Miami football recruits were present, were featured in the
Yahoo! report.
The NCAA contacted WKU on Wednesday, a day after the
Yahoo! report was published, and said they wanted to meet with
Morton regarding the allegations.
Athletics Director Ross Bjork said in a statement to
the Herald that WKU plans to cooperate fully with the NCAA during
the investigation, and will help facilitate interviews as much as
possible.
Bjork released an initial statement Tuesday night
after the report was published, saying he and Head Coach Ken
McDonald “did their homework” during the interview process and that
Morton passed all background checks before he was hired.
The period during which the alleged violations
occurred was from 2002-2010.
Bjork was not implicated in the report, although he
spent time as the Associate Athletic Director at Miami from
2003-2005.
The Bowling Green Daily News reported that the NCAA
didn’t ask to speak with Bjork regarding the violations.
President Gary Randsell told the Herald on Wednesday
that WKU and the basketball program will face no ramifications,
regardless of what the NCAA decides in regards to Morton.
“There would be no implications for us,” Ransdell
said. “We’ll let that run its course. Until we have any reason to
feel differently, we’ll be supportive of our employee. But we’ll
certainly cooperate with the NCAA and the investigation.”