Grizzly Coach Fined $1,000 For Violation

The University of Montana has scolded and fined head football coach Mick Dennehy for breaking an NCAA rule by participating in a golf tournament to raise money for college scholarships at area high schools.

Eight assistant football coaches also received letters of reprimand from the school for their part in the tournament.

Dennehy, fined $1,000, declined to comment when contacted Tuesday.

The violation occurred when the coaches played in the tournament at Ronan in early August after being told by UM officials not to participate.

Wayne Hogan, UM athletic director, said newspaper stories in advance of the tourney indicated proceeds would be used to give scholarships to high school graduates.

“When it was brought to our attention, we discussed whether it would be an NCAA violation,” he said. “After some searching around, just before the tournament, we found out it was a secondary violation.”

When secondary violations occur, the NCAA expects schools to handle the punishment themselves, Hogan explained.

“This was a little more serious than a slap on the wrist,” said Hogan. “The significance was the coaches knowing that playing was a violation.”

Marie Porter, associate athletic director, said Wednesday the rule violated by the coaches has been interpreted very broadly by the NCAA.

The regulation says representatives of an institution’s athletic interests cannot provide funding to benefit high school athletic programs, she said.

Although the golf tournament provided money for general, not athletic, scholarships, the NCAA staff said the prohibition applies anytime high schools are predetermined to benefit from an event, regardless of whether it deals with athletic programs, Porter said.

Hogan said Dennehy’s $1,000 fine will be used by UM to purchase football tickets for charities.

The letter of reprimand given Dennehy warns that, if he knowingly violates an NCAA rule, he will be terminated, Hogan said. That letter will be reviewed a year from now and could be removed from his personnel file then, he said.

Rivals unite for worth cause

The University of Colorado hopes to raise $250,000 from football fans Saturday to help opponent Colorado State replace books and research lost in the July 28 flood.

The CU Buffaloes host the CSU Rams Saturday in Boulder.

CU president John Buechner announced The Presidents’ Flood Recovery Fund, with $100,000 in seed money from the El Pomar Foundation, Robinson Dairy and others.

Saturday, members of the Reserve Officers Training Corps from the two universities will be in key spots at Folsom Stadium, asking for donations they hope will double or triple the seed money. He hopes the fund eventually grows to $500,000.

A typical bet between college presidents - such as a buffalo steak or a leg of lamb to the winner - seemed hollow in the wake of the flood that damaged 500,000 books and 30 buildings on the CSU campus in Fort Collins, said Buechner.

Aloha

Hawaii coach Fred vonAppen should have been riding high after leading the Rainbow Warriors to a 17-3 upset over Minnesota Saturday in Honolulu. But vonAppen was dogged by questions over his ongoing spat with Gov. Ben Cayetano. After raising $450,000 for the cash-strapped program, Cayetano last week blasted vonAppen, saying the coach had not acknowledged the effort and had fostered an inhospitable atmosphere toward donors.

“He evidently had strong feelings,” vonAppen said. “I’m the CEO of football. He’s the CEO of the state. He’s got a lot more important things to worry about than me.”

4th and inches

Oklahoma will try to avoid its ninth straight home loss when it meets Syracuse in Norman on Saturday. The Sooners lost a total of 10 home games in the 17-year Bud Wilkinson era and 10 in Barry Switzer’s 16-year reign.

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