Smith's classroom practices were not NCAA violation

Officials at Southeast Missouri State University disclosed Friday that the circumstances surrounding former women's basketball coach B.J. Smith's teaching of a "Coaching of Basketball" class did not include a reportable NCAA violation.

In response to a request from the Southeast Missourian regarding documents in the NCAA investigation, the university's custodian of records and associate to the president, Art Wallhausen, wrote in an e-mail that there were no documents related to the question of academic integrity from the class.

He indicated the matter was discussed in a phone call between Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman and a staff member of The Compliance Group, which is conducting the investigation on behalf of the Ohio Valley Conference commissioner's office.

"I understand from the director of athletics that the facts in this situation were discussed by telephone with the OVC consultant who in turn discussed the issue with the NCAA investigators," Wallhausen wrote. "It was determined there was no reportable violation. The situation was then handled as a personnel matter internal to the university."

Smith was placed on paid leave by the university on Nov. 9, two days before the Southeast women's team opened its season at Tulsa, and Carroll Williams replaced Smith as the instructor of the class while John Ishee took over as acting head coach. The Southeast Missourian reported then that the investigation process included talking to student-athletes in the class to discuss the academic integrity. Students in the class included several members of the women's basketball team.

Sources told the Missourian that Smith only attended a handful of classes and gave out mid-semester grades that were not reflective of any classwork.

Smith resigned his position on Dec. 6 in a joint statement issued with the university.