UPDATED at 8pm on October 23rd 2014
Yesterday, it came out that North Carolina’s baseball program was involved with the paper classes scandal that has affected the basketball and football program in the Waintstein Report. In the report, it is clearly stated that the UNC baseball coaching staff had no knowledge of the scandal in the Waintstein report which says the following about the coaching staff’s knowledge.
The baseball coaches similarly professed little knowledge about the AFAM paper classes, although two baseball players told us that the paper classes were common knowledge among their teammates. Head Baseball Coach Mike Fox explained that he had no knowledge of the paper classes or any other course that was designed to keep student-athletes eligible. Fox knew that Chapel Hill offered independent studies, but he discouraged his players from taking them, preferring that his players physically attend class. Fox stated, and his assistant coaches and former players confirmed, that he places an emphasis on academics and would bench his athletes if he learned that they were not attending class. Assistant Baseball Coach Scott Forbes explained that the team has a strict class attendance policy, and it is well known in the baseball program that if you do not go to class, you do not play. Forbes claimed that he was generally aware of what classes his players were taking, although he did not recall any student-athletes taking AFAM courses.
This is clearly not true with an email from Associate Director of the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes Brent Branton to UNC Baseball head coach Mike Fox, Assistant Coaches Scott Forbes, and Scott Jackson.
This following email is from UNC’s Mike Fox to UNC Former Associate Athletic Director John Blanchard and Former Assistant Athletic Director for Certification and Eligibility; Tutorial Coordinator, Academic Support Program for Student-athletes Susan Maloy. It clearly looks like that Fox wanted an exception to the Add/Drop rules at UNC with a student athlete wanting to add an independent study in the middle of the semester on October 16, 2007. The semester in 2007, started on August 21st and students at UNC can only add classes for the first five days of the semester.
Just finished long convo with Gerald Gurney – who has studied every NCAA academic fraud case and their adjudication since 1953…1/2
— Mark Armstrong (@ArmstrongABC11) October 23, 2014
Long story short — he called this the ‘blue ribbon case’ of academic fraud. Called it textbook LOIC and fully expects vacated wins/title.
— Mark Armstrong (@ArmstrongABC11) October 23, 2014
Karen Moon who is the Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the University of North Carolina has offered the following statement on if any discipline will take place with Coach Fox in regards to the inconstancies between his statements and email communications.
Mr. Wainstein’s investigation was thorough and has been completed. We believe no further action needs to be taken.
26 comments
Mike Fox is copied on numerous emails discussing paper classes for players. He knew. And he lied to Wainstein about it too.
I have contacted UNC about these inconsistencies…Lets see if they get back to me.
You do realize your whole premise is off base? Fox claims to have “no knowledge of ‘paper classes'”, eh? Where does he state that? Fox actually stated that he DID know that there were independent studies courses that required only a term paper at the end – and were such dubbed as “paper classes”. The emails you reference from and to him show nothing but a genuine concern for his players’ academics and their eligibility. They do NOT show someone who’s lied or is trying to skirt the rules of fair play. Furthermore, they absolutely do NOT show any proof that he somehow knew that the courses were anything other than legit offerings from the University. Your article was a lame attempt to smear a fine coach. Nothing more. And the fact that you’re on the comments section of your own blog commenting the way that you are shows us all your biases. Don’t ever think for one second that you’re some kind of “journalist”. You’re not. Not even close.
You came here, a YEAR LATER, to post this?
Pathetic. You are absolutely PATHETIC!
Actually, that would apply to you. I did NOT come here “a YEAR LATER”. YOU DID. Besides, I responded to Brian Foley. NOT YOU. So for YOU to come here “A YEAR LATER” and respond to me the way that you did (as well as your initial post in which you ignorantly call a coach that you don’t even know a liar)…. well THAT’S the epitome of pathetic.
Looks like this is coming back up again! https://twitter.com/BlueDevilicious/status/684483198433165312
This article is from October 2014. Your comment is 4 months old, which means it was made September 2015.
I came here just looking for the article to cite. Then I saw your pathetic self.
Sanctions commin’, boy…
Thanks for confirming your pathetic nature, MN. You and Brian make for a cute couple.
You do realize that an independent study class is a legitimate course — usually involving either individual sessions with the professor or small-group projects.
I did plenty an independent study when in college but would never have been asking to circumvent the Add/Drop period in the middle of October. The add period at UNC ends five days after the start of the semester…pretty sure October is farther than 5 days
Do a little research into this situation. These are not typical Independent Studies classes. These classes required only a paper which was usually provided by a tutor or a member of the academic support staff.
A counselor that should not have had any power over grades would simply hand out the grade needed by the student to maintain eligibility. Student athletes, which made up less than 1% of the student population, accounted for ~50% enrollment in these classes. Note that athletic managers and friends of athletes are not counted in this figure.
These classes were a total sham, used to maintain eligibility, and UNC has admitted it.
Coach Fox lost support from several former players before this broke. Years ago he was a straight shooter but something changed him.
Looks like the Admin doesn’t care about him lying to the investigation
So what are you going to do about it?
As someone who has literally lived my entire life in North Carolina, I am not the least bit surprised at their response. And now YOU’RE seeing what I’ve seen for 40+ years: complete unabashed arrogance.
The Carolina Way, that’s what.
CSF lost a recruit this year due to his academic ability not syncing with his athletic ability. It is a blow to the program, sure. But I’d rather see actual student athletes on the field than de facto pro athletes that are merely enrolled.
Agree
Agree, so do something about it. You have the power of journalism. Are you going to let her response be the end of this?
Well Brian, I guess you got your answer on how UNC views this.
Exactly…they don’t care about lying or bout academics
The arrogance is pretty stunning, isn’t it?
You know the guys hurt most by this garbage excuse for a college baseball program? Guys like Elliott Avent, Chris Hart and Brian Ward. Other coaches who play by the rules and are readily and eagerly compared to guys like Mike Fox as some kind of litmus test for their performance. UNC has not won a legitimate, arms-length competition on any field or court in 18 years. 18 years. Chew on that for a second. There are baseball players at UNC right now that have never lived a day when UNC wasn’t cheating by offering fake classes to keep athletes eligible. Look no further than the curious case of H.J. It’s absurd that it took this long for people to see through the scam that UNC has perpetuated on all of college athletics for nearly two decades. Welcome to the party, folks. It’s about time. While you’re here, take a look at super agents parking boys in Chapel Hill from all over the country. Coincidence?
You are a pathetic state fan that has no wins in anything to talk about so you prefer to trash UNC. I like how you lump all the baseball players that are at UNC now with cheating and taking fake classes. I know for a fact that is untrue because I have a relative that is one of them and he goes to class and works his butt off on the field and in the classroom. And Elliott Avent, what a joke. How do you have one of the best teams in the nation and barely make it to the ACC Tournment and not make the NCAA’s. Typical state crap as always.
What a wulf puppie.
You are a hack with an anti-UNC baseball bias. The Wainstein report produced 1.6 million emails and documents. You admit on twitter to giving credit to NC State guys for doing your research for you and all they could produce were two emails. 2 of 1.6 million. Mike Fox was interviewed by Wainstein in 2014 and said he had no knowledge. You produce a 5 year old email that someone sent Fox to establish he is lying. Had you produced multiple emails where Fox himself mentioned paper classes I would agree, but a single 5 year old email where paper class is written parenthetically hardly makes him a liar. Furthermore, in the 2nd email he acknowledges the add/drop period had passed and was inquiring if an exception could be made to add an independent study class. You insinuate two things from that email without benefit of any documents to prove that 1) The student was allowed to add the class that Fox inquired about and 2) That adding an independant study class meant an illegitimate AFRAM paper class which was the subject of the investigation.
Your bias is transparent and your journalism skills are pitiful at best.
[…] University of North Carolina Athletics Department received their Notice of Allegations due to the ongoing investigation of paper classes. The notice of allegations includes at least three direct references to the UNC Baseball program […]
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