Prep says ex-Iowa coach made invitation.

[cyclonekj]

Alfraud isn't funny???? Is he your brother or something?

Maybe not to you, I laugh my butt off everytime I hear it. Have a little fun already

Do you work for the Iowa Lottery? Did you also come up with the idea to rewrite the UofI fight song? Brilliant!

Oh, I will scratch, scratch, scratch my Diamond Mines...

[Cyclonesrule91]

Do you work for the Iowa Lottery? Did you also come up with the idea to rewrite the UofI fight song? Brilliant!

Oh, I will scratch, scratch, scratch my Diamond Mines...

No on the Lottery.

I have, however, thought extensively on rewriting the EIU fight song. I have settled on a milder remix of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell". Watch the papers for the official announcement coming shortly.

Scratch away my friend. Scratch away

[jay moe]

Very interesting. Tampering with commited recruits would damage the University of NM. I wonder what they would think of their wonderboy if the allegations are true and they get some kind of sanction from the NCAA. I think the fun is just beginning, I am going to sit back and enjoy this.

[Cymaster]

Somebody help me out here. How is this any different than Brands bringing all of those VT wrestlers? Is it because none of the wrestlers were dumb enough to say that Brands actually asked them? You can't tell me that many people made such a big stink about not getting let off scholarships so they could go to iowa if nobody at iowa had asked them to go. Is it different when the athlete is at the school, rather than a committed recruit that has signed a LOI?

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what is actually going on.....

[URBCLONE]

No on the Lottery.

I have, however, thought extensively on rewriting the EIU fight song. I have settled on a milder remix of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell". Watch the papers for the official announcement coming shortly.

Scratch away my friend. Scratch away

Ok, I just about shot water out of my nose! That is too funny right there

[SlyCy]

Interesting twist.....if Alford hasn't signed a contract with NM would it change things?

[clonomaniac]

I HIGHLY DOUBT Alford suggested anyone to leave Iowa for New Mexico. That was my thought when I heard it from people here at work. However, after reading the article on it, I am convinced he did just that. Why else would a recruit make this kind of statement about a coach to the media?

Wow, one this for sure. Alford is the perfect example of a Hawkeye - he'll always be a hawk to me.

[cstrunk]

It's nice to see Alford show his true colors so early in his new career at New Mexico. I really feel sorry for those Lobo's down there.

This won't have any NCAA implications for Iowa, correct?

[ISU_phoria]

I am not intimately familiar with NCAA rules regarding these things.....would it still be a violation if a student-athlete who committed to a school, who's coach had subsequently left, contacted that coach first?

For example.....if this recruit had actually made the contact with Alford and asked whether there might be room from him on the NM team and Alford simply said, "Yes, I'll take you at NM"

Then, when discussing it with reporters, the recruit said that Alford had told him to come along to NM, which makes it look like Alford was in the wrong.

I really don't know, just asking a question. While I never liked Alford, I always thought he was a pretty clean guy.

[joepublic]

That would be really cool if steve pulled this stun while he was still Iowa's coach. I would howl.

[SlyCy]

LINK

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Iowa recruits say Alford is contacting them

By Susan Harman
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Published reports indicate that former Iowa men’s basketball coach Steve Alford has tried to convince Iowa recruits Jake Kelly and Jarryd Cole, both of whom signed letters of intent in the fall, to follow him to New Mexico.

Such advances seem to be in violation of NCAA rules prohibiting tampering with recruits who have already signed with another school.

Kelly, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard from Carmel, Ind., told the Indianapolis Star that the coach told him of the possibility that he would go to New Mexico as much as a week before the public announcement.

“(Alford) called me the day he signed with them and just told me that he wanted me to come with him, and that they needed me, and that he thinks they’ve got a good future there with some of the recruits that he thinks will follow him,” Kelly told the Indianapolis Star.

Kelly also told the Star that other college coaches have contacted Carmel coach Mark Galloway to let him know they are interested in Kelly.

HawkeyeNation.com quotes Cole as saying that both Alford and associate head coach Craig Neal are trying to lure him to New Mexico.

“It could be an option,” Cole told HawkeyeNation.com. “I’m not sure if that’s where I want to be at, but perhaps. They explained to me that it’s a basketball school and you don’t have to deal with football. They’re putting a bunch of money in their arena and building a practice facility that will open this year. That sounds good.”

The NCAA Web site includes the following information about the administration of the letter of intent:

“All colleges and universities that participate in the NLI (national letter of intent) program agree to not recruit a prospective student-athlete once he/she signs an NLI with another college or university. Therefore, a prospective student-athlete who signs an NLI should no longer receive recruiting contacts and calls and is ensured an athletics scholarship for one academic year.”

The text of the National Letter of Intent includes this language in paragraph 19:

"I understand I have signed this NLI with the institution and not for a particular sport or individual. If the coach leaves the institution or the sports program, I remain bound by the provisions of this NLI. I understand it is not uncommon for a coach to leave his or her coaching position."

Iowa Associate Athletic Director Fred Mims, who works with compliance issues, was in meetings Wednesday morning. A call requesting comment from Alford was left with the New Mexico Sports Information department.

[Oldgeezer]

On the surface, it certainly looks like tampering but it won't lead to a death penalty for Iowa or NM, so don't get your hopes up. IF it proves to be true, Alford will receive a reprimand or possible probation, and the player in question will not be allowed to enroll at NM.

[cyjlt]

Didn't the Iowa Wrestling coach get accused of this when he moved from Out east back to Iowa?

If so is'nt their and particularly JD Miller's outrage interesting?