Former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon has received stiff penalties from the NCAA for violating wagering and ethical conduct rules. As part of his discipline, Bohannon now has a 15-year show-cause order, which all but eliminates his ability to work at the college level for the near future.
Alabama fired Bohannon in May 2023 when allegations about his connection with suspicious gambling activity emerged. After an investigation, the NCAA found that Bohannon communicated insider information to a bettor, like providing information about the lineup card before submitting it to the other team.
In one example released by the NCAA, Bohannon used an encrypted messaging service to alert the gambler that one of the Crimson Tide's players would be out for the game that day.
"(Student-athlete) is out for sure ... Lemme know when I can tell (the opposing team) ... Hurry," Bohannon wrote.
Immediately after getting that tip, the bettor attempted to place a $100,000 bet on the game, but the sportsbook only permitted a maximum wager of $15,000. After more suspicious activity from that bettor, the sportsbook stopped accepting bets from that account.
On top of the evidence against Bohannon, the NCAA says another factor in its ruling was that the former Alabama coach refused to cooperate in the investigation. That led to a harsher penalty, which the NCAA announced on Thursday:
- Three years of probation.
- A $5,000 fine.
- A 15-year show-cause order for Bohannon. During the show-cause order, any employing member institution shall restrict Bohannon from any athletically related position. If Bohannon becomes employed during the show-cause period, he shall be suspended for 100% of the baseball regular season for the first five seasons of his employment.
- Alabama will retain EPIC Global Solutions to provide a comprehensive gambling harm and student-athlete protection education program for student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators.
After firing Bohannon last spring, Alabama hired former Maryland coach Rob Vaughn as his replacement. In his six seasons with the Terrapins, Vaughn compiled a record of 183-115, including a pair of Big Ten championships.
