Wofford basketball on probation in 2024-25 for NCAA violations under ex-coach Jay McAuley

Wofford basketball was placed on probation Friday after the NCAA ruled former coach Jay McAuley had numerous and repetitive violations involving team practices and meetings.

Wofford for the 2024-25 season will have its number of preseason practices cut from 30 to 25 and other team activities reduced from 20 to 18. The school was also fined $5,000. The NCAA said Wofford failed to monitor the program as McAuley regularly brought players in on their scheduled days off.

Wofford’s internal investigation revealed that McAuley forced players to work on days he told the school’s compliance department were off days. The NCAA said he committed violations “most weeks during the championship segment of the playing season” in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

McAuley was placed on leave Dec. 5, 2022, and resigned a month later during his third season as coach. Dwight Perry, a former assistant under McAuley, led the team on an interim basis and then was named full-time head coach.

According to the NCAA report, McAuley violated rules following a loss in November 2022 by having the team review video of the next opponent. One of the players was forced to meet with McAuley after midnight, also a violation.

Wofford president Nayef Samhat received a letter from players in December 2022 stating they would no longer play for McAuley, who held film study sessions, walk-throughs and individual workouts beyond the NCAA’s limit of 20 hours per week.

McAuley is now the coach of Lassiter High School in Marietta, Georgia. He received a two-year show cause penalty through 2025-26 meaning if he takes a college job during that time he will be suspended 15 games by the NCAA.

McAuley began his coaching career at Wofford in 2018 as an assistant for two years, was at Gardner-Webb for three years and then Furman for four years. He returned to Wofford in 2017 and was promoted two years later when Mike Young became coach at Virginia Tech.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Wofford basketball on probation in 2024-25 for NCAA violations under ex-coach Jay McAuley