Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach suspended 2 games

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will be without its coach for the next two games due to self-reported NCAA violations.

Southeast women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler was suspended for two games due to violations of athletic department policies and procedures, according to a news release issued by the Southeast athletic department on Wednesday morning. The suspension was handed down by the university, and the case is still being reviewed by the NCAA.

The specific violations were not disclosed by the athletic department, but Southeast Senior Associate to the President Brady Barke, who conducted the university's investigation of the incident, provided additional information in an email Wednesday evening.

"Our institution recently self-reported violations involving members of the women's basketball coaching staff," Barke said in an email to the Southeast Missourian after the Missourian filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records related to the suspension. "The self-reported violations are still being reviewed by the NCAA, and, therefore, in order to protect the integrity of the process, specific details may not be shared publicly at this time. However, in an effort to provide you with what information we are allowed to share, the activities that occurred which resulted in our decision to self-report violations involved impermissible off-campus recruiting contacts and impermissible recruiting inducements by the women's basketball coaching staff."

The Southeast women's basketball team faced NCAA sanctions, including the loss of scholarships and number of days coaches were allowed to recruit, in 2006 after former coach B.J. Smith and his staff was found to have committed multiple violations, including arranging for transportation to and from campus for recruits' official visits and having inappropriate contact with athletes by observing summer workouts. Smith was placed on personal leave just before the start of the 2006 season and never coached again before resigning in December.

The university was forced to vacate 44 wins from the 2004-05 and 2005-06, which included an Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship and NCAA tournament appearance.

Margenthaler, who is entering his fourth season at the helm of the program after taking over for Smith's replacement John Ishee, will be suspended for the Redhawks' exhibition game against Missouri Valley College tonight and the season opener against Alabama A&M on Nov. 14.

Barke pointed out in his email to the Southeast Missourian NCAA legislation that states, "an institution's head coach is presumed to be responsible for the actions of all assistant coaches and administrators who report, directly or indirectly, to the head coach. A head coach shall promote an atmosphere of compliance within his or her program and shall monitor the activities of all assistant coaches and administrators involved with the program who report, directly or indirectly, to the coach."

Two Southeast assistant coaches were replaced following last season. Ben Coomes, who had been on Margenthaler's staff since 2011, and LaToya Howell, who spent only one season at Southeast, were replaced by Cameron Tucker and LaVesa Glover prior to the start of this season.

Southeast has posted a record of 28-59 in Margenthaler's first three seasons and has failed to make the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, which features the top eight teams in the regular-season standings.

Margenthaler will be allowed to coach during practices in the days leading up to and following each game.

Assistant coach Heather Ezell, who has been on Margenthaler's staff since shortly after he was hired in April 2011, will take over Margenthaler's head-coaching duties for both games.

Margenthaler will be available to coach the team on the road against Missouri on Nov. 17.

Southeast sports information director Jeff Honza said that there will be no further comment from the Southeast athletic department.