McDaniel field hockey committed recruiting violations

Download the Oct. 2021 McDaniel College Public Infractions Decision

The McDaniel field hockey head coach committed NCAA violations when she had recruiting contacts with a potential transfer student-athlete without obtaining written permission from the transfer's prior school, according to a decision released by the Division III Committee on Infractions. Due to her involvement in the violations, the head coach also failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance.

"The violations in this case stemmed from the mistakes of an inexperienced, first-time head coach," the committee said in its decision.

The NCAA enforcement staff, school and field hockey head coach agreed that over the course of one month, the head coach had at least 69 impermissible contacts with a prospect without obtaining written permission from the prospect's school or authorization through the notification of transfer process. The parties also agreed that the head coach impermissibly provided a free meal during the prospect's visit to the school's campus.

Specifically, shortly after she was hired, the head coach received an email from a prospect who expressed an interest in transferring to McDaniel. Over the next month, the prospect and head coach communicated frequently over email and by phone. During the course of their communication, the prospect mentioned that she had not spoken with the coach at her prior school about her desire to transfer. 

Approximately one month after the contacts between the head coach and prospect began, the head coach informed the prospect that she had been admitted to the school and offered her a position on the field hockey team. The head coach also scheduled a campus visit for the prospect. During that campus visit, the head coach realized her contacts with the student potentially violated NCAA rules, and she immediately self-reported to the compliance department and ended the visit. 

The committee noted in its decision that the collective number of impermissible contacts constitute a major NCAA violation. 

The enforcement staff and head coach also agreed that the coach's personal involvement in the violations demonstrated that she did not promote an atmosphere for compliance.

This case was resolved through the cooperative summary disposition process, a process in which involved parties collectively submit the case to the committee in written form. All participating parties must agree to the facts of the case for this process to be used instead of a formal hearing.

The committee prescribed the following penalties and corrective measures:

• Two years of probation.
• A comprehensive compliance review of McDaniel's athletics department by an outside agency with athletics compliance expertise.
• The field hockey head coach was suspended for one month between March 1 and March 31, 2021, from all recruiting events (self-imposed).
• The field hockey head coach was required to attend the 2021 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar and lead an athletics department discussion on NCAA rules (self-imposed).

Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from NCAA member schools and conferences and members of the public. The committee members who reviewed this case are Richard Lapidus, president of Fitchburg State; Donna Ledwin, commissioner of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference; Jody Mooradian, athletics director at Salve Regina and vice chair of the committee; and Angela Givens Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.