Al Golden in 2010.
Photo by Getty Images
One person, especially, has been victimized by the scandal surrounding the University of Miami football team, according to CBS/MaxPreps recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.
"I feel sorry for Al Golden (first-year head coach)," Lemming said. "He's a great guy with integrity and honesty. He was heavily sought-after and one of the top up-and-coming young coaches. I certainly wouldn't blame him if he left, because they misled him (about possible NCAA penalties).
"The administration ought to come to him and give him a seven- or eight-year contract right now, because it's going to take three or four years to clean this up. He needs job security to win and overcome the loss of some players who probably are going to be kicked off. The shame of the program will hurt recruiting."
Having specialized in recruiting for 32 years, Lemming noted, "Miami is not the only program where this stuff happens. I think the NCAA is in over its head (in policing colleges). We're talking about billion-dollar businesses. Money brings in more students. It's cost and effect. The rewards far outweigh the penalties. Coaches are getting million-dollar contracts and assistants half-million-dollar deals.
"No matter how good of a coach you are, you still win with great players. The pressure to win is enormous. Sometimes high school players expect this (illegal aid of some type). Coaches are becoming rich and the players want some of that. If the elite players want a handout, they are always going to find a school with that hand. If it's cash, it's almost impossible to trace. I think players have been getting (extra) rewards for 60 or 70, maybe 90 years. During the roaring 20's, there became a demand for great ball players at certain programs."
Lemming believes longer contracts would alleviate some of the cheating.
"Coaches wouldn't cheat if their jobs were secure," he said. "Coaches used to have five years to win. Now it's down to three years. What does a coach have to lose if he has only one year left? I think everyone should share the blame."
Still, he fingers the Miami situation as extremely blatant, because the man behind the scandal - $930 million Ponzi scheme artist Nevin Shapiro - was so visible around the football program. The former booster, now serving 20 years in a federal prison, told Yahoo! Sports that for close to 10 years he had been providing Miami athletes with cash, prostitutes, cars and other gifts.
"That guy seemed like a loose cannon," Lemming said. "He was pretty flamboyant and wasn't hiding. There were pictures of him running through tunnels (with the team) and handing a check to the president. I don't see too many programs that loose."
Could the Hurricanes get the NCAA "death penalty" which once shut down the entire Southern Methodist University program?
"I don't think they will," Lemming replied. "Because it destroys the economy of Miami and of the University of Miami."
NCAA President Mark Emmert is discussing making a "fundamental change" in college sports, because high-profile programs such as Ohio State, Southern California, Auburn, Oregon, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and LSU also are under investigation or already have received penalties for rules violations.
Lemming believes the best answer is to add more men and women to the NCAA's enforcement division.
There was a time when a member of the NCAA would ask Lemming for names of potential high school players who might have their hands out for illegal payments. They would then warn the players what could be in store for them. Lemming said none of them ever were involved in college scandals.
He said enforcement members should check the lifestyle of college players, including what kind of cars they drove, compared to what they had in high school. Another key would be to watch a player's grades throughout high school.
"You'll see a 1.5 (GPA) go to 2.5 in a month sometimes," he said. "Rarely today do you see someone who doesn't qualify academically. A writer could probably win a Pulitzer Prize if he follows kids' grades in 10-11-12 and sees how they go up."
Still, the jury isn't out yet on the Miami Hurricanes.
"(Shapiro) is a convicted felon," Lemming stressed. "Miami is going to have its day in court. We'll see what really happens."
