Roy Williams weighs in on unresolved NCAA investigation
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Head Basketball Coach Roy Williams was back in his childhood stomping ground Wednesday night in Asheville as he was inducted into the Western North Carolina Hall of Fame.
The event was a celebration of his and others accomplishments, but an unresolved NCAA investigation of UNC's athletic program remains a talking point.
"Just tell us what the allegations are, you know. I mean that would help because that gives us information," said Williams. "So it's been a hard process and there's been quite a bit of negative recruiting going on and all those kind of things that make you not be very happy. But at the same time, we made some mistakes at our university, mistakes we're not proud of and yet it's been so sensationalized.
UNC announced in June, 2014 that the NCAA had given it notice it's reopened its investigation of academic irregularities at the school involving student athletes.
UNC's problems first began in 2010 when it announced it was looking into allegations of plagiarism, tutors who violated rules, faculty who failed to provide oversight, alleged unethical conduct by an assistant coach, and allegations that players got perks from professional sports agents.
At the conclusion of its first investigation, the NCAA said the school was "responsible for multiple violations, including academic fraud, impermissible agent benefits, ineligible participation, and a failure to monitor its football program."
Penalties imposed by the association included a one-year postseason ban, a reduction of 15 football scholarships, vacation of records, and three years' probation.
Despite the NCAA investigation, internal investigations, and a report from former Jim Governor Martin, UNC's problems did not go away. Then in October, 2014, UNC released the report of former federal prosecutors Kenneth Wainstein - who it commissioned to re-investigate the allegations of academic irregularities.
The more than 130-page report uncovered 18 years of academic fraud at the school. It showed 3,100 students were enrolled in so-called paper classes, many of them were athletes. Those classes required little to no work. Over the span of almost two decades, the report showed student athletes were steered toward those classes to boost their grades and eligibility. The problems centered on the academic department formerly named African and Afro-American Studies.
The Wainstein report was shared with NCAA investigators, and now the school is waiting to see what will happen. Coach Williams said Thursday the various investigations have been thorough.
"We're about the most investigated program in the history of college athletics because we did two internal investigations and then former Governor Martin did an investigation and then the Wainstein report, federal prosecutor, and now the NCAA. So they've got all the information. There's no warts that they haven't seen. I can tell you that," said Williams.
Watch the video above for more reaction from the coach.
