Pruett denies involvement in violations in lawsuit deposition

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Former Marshall football coach Bob Pruett has denied allegations he was involved in an academic scandal or made athletes lie about a jobs program that drew NCAA sanctions in 2001.

One of the former players who accused Pruett in a sworn affidavit has since recanted his statements.

Pruett gave a sworn deposition in May in a federal lawsuit filed by David Ridpath, Marshall's former NCAA compliance officer.

Former strength coach Mike Jenkins said in an earlier deposition that Pruett assured the football staff at a spring 1999 meeting that several players would be eligible for the 2000 season because they were assured of perfect grades in a physical education class.

Pruett indicated he never said that.

"I don't know why he would give this statement ... unless he just misunderstood or misremembered," Pruett said.

Pruett "vigorously" denied Jenkins' contention that Pruett and others on his staff initiated the academic fraud.

Volunteer assistant strength coach Bruce McAllister gave seven athletes copies of final exam answers before the actual test was given. The NCAA's 2001 report said when McAllister's action was exposed to other students in the class, the professor gave everyone an "A" in the course.

Pruett said McAllister came to his home and said he gave the test.

"I said, 'Well, you can't be with our program, you've put our program in harm's way,'" Pruett said.

Two players also implicated Pruett in earlier affidavits in a booster's high-paying summer jobs program for freshman players who were not academically qualified to participate in athletics.

Linebackers Sam Goines and Charlie Tynes didn't qualify for scholarships during their freshman seasons. NCAA bylaws prohibited them from receiving work benefits arranged by the school during their first year.

Goines and Tynes said Pruett told them during their recruitment that jobs would be available to them upon their arrival at Marshall. Both players said they were paid $25 an hour but were forced to sign documents at Pruett's direction indicating they were paid $12.50 per hour.