Kaverman treats contract renewal as opportunity to update language

~ Smith's latest agreement included more detail about penalties for NCAA violations.

With contract negotiations taking place at the same time as an NCAA investigation into the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball program, athletic director Don Kaverman took the occasion to revisit the university's contract language.

Two years ago, Southeast women's basketball coach B.J. Smith signed a contract that included two sentences mentioning termination related to NCAA violations. The contract Smith signed last week included three paragraphs on termination for cause, including one detailed paragraph outlining NCAA and Ohio Valley Conference infractions as cause for termination.

Southeast's women's program currently is being investigated by both the OVC -- which launched its probe at the university's request -- and the NCAA, which joined the investigation based on outside information it had received.

Kaverman said the new wording in Smith's contract is just "better language."

"It clarifies the expectations of the university," Kaverman said. "We have very similar language in the men's contract. It's just better language.

"The more of these you do, the better you get at putting them together, so now I think it's clear what's expected of the coach."

Smith was not surpised by the new wording in the contract, which didn't change much of the intent of the agreement.

"I thought it read pretty similarly," Smith said.

Smith's contract has more extensive language on termination for cause, including acts of dishonesty or willful misconduct, gross negligence, or violations of the university's policies and procedures.

Edgar's contract features even more detailed language, such as termination for cause for knowingly committing conflicts of interest or reporting to work under the influence of intoxicants.

Both contracts also say cause for termination can include failure to perform duties "in conformity with NCAA and/or Ohio Valley Conference regulations."

While Smith's previous contract merely said the agreement could be terminated "in the case of a serious violation of NCAA rules or regulations," the new deal is more detailed. It says "if [Smith], or the women's basketball program, are found guilty of significant or repetitive violations of NCAA regulations," penalties may include suspension without pay or termination.

The new contract also states it is Smith's responsibility "to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the women's basketball program and to monitor the activities regarding compliance of all assistant coaches and other administrators involved with the program who report directly or indirectly to you." The contract says that a findings of "a major violation of NCAA legislation" or violations of OVC policies could lead to suspension or termination.

"There's very specific language in there that speaks to our expectations of the coach to exercise oversight of the program, the assistants and anybody that interacts with the program," Kaverman said. "That's a fundamental responsibility; and that's not our language, that's right from the NCAA. That's an expectation of all head coaches."

Kaverman indicated publicly before the agreement with Smith that a caveat regarding NCAA violations would be included, even though the previous contract had some mention as well.

"Quite frankly, that's probably the language we're going to put in all of our coaches' contracts for now on, because I think it's good language," Kaverman said.

Investigation update

The AD said in the news release about Smith's extension last week that the university had taken steps to address minor violations that were discovered in the investigation, which was requested by university president Dr. Kenneth Dobbins in late January.

On Thursday, he expounded that the issues corrected were "little things."

"A student manager giving a student-athlete an impermissible ride, providing some student-athletes with some meal money from the wrong source of funds. Little things like that," Kaverman said. "We've processed those, and we've dealt with them."

Kaverman said NCAA investigators will be back on campus April 23 through 25. He expected the process to be completed in the fall.

After the visit later this month, Kaverman said, investigators will "go back and process their information; and we'll have a better sense of what we're dealing with at some point down the road -- May or early June -- after they've had a chance to go through everything.

"I would expect by the fall they'd be bringing this to some sort of conclusion. That could be done a variety of ways -- via report or sitting before a committee on infractions. That remains to be seen.

"They're not speedy, but they're very thorough."