Former University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired for cause in May amid a sports betting scandal. A letter obtained last week by The Tuscaloosa News reveals that the university cited Bohannon for violating 10 subsections of his contract.
Among those violations was a specific provision that prohibits employees from soliciting or placing bets “on any intercollegiate or professional athletic contest whether through a bookmaker, a pool, or any other person, means or method, or permitting, encouraging, or condoning such acts by any coach, staff, student-athletes, or any other person.”
Another section of the contract specifies that Bohannon was not to share any inside information with bettors.
Bohannon was in contact with Bert Neff on April 28 prior to Alabama’s game with top-ranked LSU. The Crimson Tide were underdogs in the game, and they scratched their projected starting pitcher shortly before first pitch. Neff placed a large wager at the BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, while in communication with Bohannon.
The wager was flagged as suspicious activity, and early findings from the subsequent investigation provided Alabama with enough information to fire Bohannon. He was placed on administrative leave on May 4, and his contract was officially terminated on May 18, per The Tuscaloosa News report.
OCCC investigation ongoing
Questions remain about potential punishments outside Bohannon’s firing.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission’s investigation into Bohannon, Neff, and the University of Alabama has yet to be completed. Ohio’s sports betting regulator plans to share its findings once the investigation is over. There could also be legal repercussions, depending on the severity of the infractions committed by Bohannon and Neff.
In addition to possible penalties levied by the OCCC, the NCAA may also hand out penalties to Bohannon and possibly Alabama. The NCAA prohibits players and coaches from wagering on NCAA sports, and it also prohibits players and coaches from sharing inside information with bettors.
Virginia Tech linebacker Alan Tisdale was suspended six games in 2022 for betting on NBA games. The NCAA analyzes wagering violations on a case-by-case basis. The NCAA has not yet shared any penalties related to reported infractions of NCAA wagering rules at Iowa and Iowa State.
