Men’s basketball coach Don Verlin remains on paid administrative leave the day before players are set to return to campus for the summer program.
The Argonaut obtained the redacted report by Ice Miller LLP from the University of Idaho, detailing the alleged NCAA violations on behalf of the program throughout the 2018-2019 season.
The university self-reported the violations May 23, the same day Verlin was placed on leave. Ice Miller began the review process February.
A possible violation involved Brooks Malm, former director of player development, who participated in on-court drills and sideline activities despite being a non-coaching staff member. This participation dated back to the 2017-18 season.
Malm accepted a high school coaching position in California, according to Idaho athletics spokesperson Mike Walsh.
Former UI compliance director, Jordan Hall, who first noticed Malm with a whistle during practice in September 2018, met with both Verlin and interim athletic director Pete Isakson in October to discuss the violation.
In December, Hall saw Malm holding play cards during a game, and subsequently met with Verlin again.
Malm’s conduct, in part due to its longevity, was classified as a Level II NCAA violation, or a “significant breach of conduct” in the report. The NCAA classifies violations between Level I through III, the most severe violation a Level I.
Hall, who left UI in January and now holds a position at Oregon State, consulted with the Big Sky Conference compliance staff soon after, resulting in a university-approved review of non-coaching staff activities in the program.
Malm would again violate NCAA guidelines in February, according to the report, after participating in scout team walk-throughs during a Montana trip.
A second possible violation, classified as Level III, referred to prospective student-athletes who participated in different on-campus court activities under supervision of staff members. The first student-athlete, Eric Mireri, participated while on an official university trip March 31, but had not filled out the required pre-evaluation medical information or waiver, unbeknownst to the coaches.
The second student, Pullman High School senior Jake Wells, participated in the same pickup games as Mireri, and had previously been part of several games since the end of the 2018-19 season, according to Verlin in the report.
The third violation, while classified as Level III, was heavily redacted and does not include which NCAA Bylaw was violated.
In response to the violations, UI began to self-impose penalties in collaboration with Ice Miller. The NCAA is currently reviewing all materials, including the penalties. The sanctions are listed below.
- Malm is prohibited from attending both pre-season skill workouts and regular season practice during the fall semester.
- Verlin has a one-game suspension at the start of the 2019-2020 season.
- A university-imposed $5000 fine.
- Men’s basketball staff to attend NCAA Regional Rules seminar.
- Three-week ban on arranged, unofficial visits in fall semester.
- Sixteen less recruiting days in 2019-2020 calendar year.
- Regular season weekly countable athletically related activities (CARA) hours reduced from 20 to 19 for 2019-2020 season.
- Sixteen-hour reduction of coach-involved CARA hours during 2019 summer and fall preseason.
- UI will count four official visits as being used in the 2019-19 and 2019-20 official visiting cycle.
The report noted Idaho “has an effective athletics compliance program” and it “ identified the conduct that initiated this review.”
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]