Southeast places Smith on paid leave

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach B.J. Smith won't coach the Redhawks in their season-opening game Saturday night at Tulsa, and sources close to the situation confirm there are doubts Smith will coach again at the university.

The fifth-year coach who turned the program into one of the Ohio Valley Conference's best was placed on leave by the university. Athletic director Don Kaverman said Thursday afternoon the leave was for personal reasons, although an e-mail sent to athletic department personnel early Thursday afternoon termed the action an administrative leave.

The women's basketball program has been under investigation by the NCAA since last winter, and sources say a recent round of interviews in the investigation centered on the academic integrity of a class taught by Smith.

"We're not commenting on the reasons," Kaverman said.

Smith will be paid during the time of his leave, which is indefinite, according to Kaverman.

Smith is not permitted to coach the team during practices or games during his leave. Kaverman said he met with Smith around midday Thursday, and then met with the team at around 3 p.m.

Reached by phone for comment on Thursday, Smith said, "My attorney has told me the only thing I can say is I'm on administrative leave for personal reasons."

John Ishee, who is in his first year back at Southeast as an assistant after previously serving on Smith's staff as a volunteer assistant in 2002-03, will be the acting head coach while Smith is on leave. Lisa Pace and Jenni Lingor will be on the bench in their roles as assistant coaches.

Ishee led the team through practice on Thursday.

"The No. 1 thing is, we're all just trying to do what's best for these kids," he said. "That's what gets lost in all of this. There's things in life that happen beyond our control.

"We had as good a practice today as we could have under the circumstances. I think they want to play for B.J. and make him proud, play for each other and themselves."

Southeast had its best season in Division I last year, finishing 22-9 after tying for the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and winning the conference tournament to earn the program's first NCAA tournament berth. Southeast lost to Stanford in the opening round of the NCAA tourney in Denver to conclude its second straight 22-win season.

Smith has a record of 79-41 in four seasons at Southeast. That and his 51-17 record in conference play are the best marks in the OVC over the last four years.

But the program also has been under scrutiny by the OVC and NCAA since late January, when university president Dr. Kenneth Dobbins asked OVC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher to conduct an investigation of possible NCAA rules violations. The conference investigation, conducted by The Compliance Group, resulted in a preliminary report, which the university released on June 30. That report found violations in seven areas, including inappropriate transportation for prospective student-athletes, inappropriate lodging for prospective student-athletes before their enrollment and violations regarding summer activities with prospective student-athletes.

The university at that time self-imposed seven sanctions recommended in the report. The penalties included a reduction in scholarships from 15 to 12 for this school year.

University officials expected the NCAA to complete its investigation in late summer, but the investigation has lingered. University officials now believe they are in a window where a letter of allegations could be sent by the NCAA any day.

"I would expect that it would be in the very near time, but we've been saying that for a while," Kaverman said.

Sources familiar with the situation say the investigation recently has included interviews with students in a class Smith is teaching this semester called "Coaching Basketball" in an examination of academic integrity, an area in which the NCAA considers violations to be major. Students in the class reportedly included a number of athletes, including some members of the women's team.