NCAA announces additional penalties for MBB; Metress to serve second 5-game suspension

By Chris Rickerson | Sports editor

The NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions announced Thursday, June 2, that AU men’s basketball coach Dip Metress will have to sit out the first five Peach Belt Conference games next season as additional punishment for academic improprieties that occurred last year.

Metress, who sat out the first five games of the 2021-22 season from AU-imposed penalties, had the case heard by the NCAA COI. This is the committee’s final report on the case. Metress and AU do not plan to appeal the decision.

Metress had no comment after the NCAA released its report Thursday.

In response to the NCAA report, a statement from the university reads as follows:

“Athletics compliance and academic integrity are top priorities at Augusta University. Any suspected infractions of NCAA rules are thoroughly and comprehensively investigated, all discovered violations promptly reported, and, after a fair process, appropriate penalties rendered. We believe our prompt self-reporting to the NCAA, and our full and complete cooperation in their investigation reflected our commitment to athletic integrity, and the self-imposed penalties in this case were proportionate to the reported violations. We are grateful that the NCAA enforcement staff, and the Committee on Infractions have affirmed our clear commitment to our compliance obligations.”

The Jaguar men’s basketball program also loses a total of two scholarships as an additional penalty, one next year and then the second the year after. Metress also was assessed “a two-year show-cause order with specific restrictions,” according to the NCAA report.

The scandal involved a former AU player, who now plays junior college ball in Mississippi. He was given assistance on a criminal justice exam by former assistant coach O’Neal Armstrong, who was subsequently fired for initially lying about what had occurred during the exam. That same player also received help from Metress on a class paper assignment.

The NCAA report also states that Metress and Armstrong “were personally involved in the violations” and that this “demonstrated the head coach’s failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance in his program and monitor his staff.”

Metress and AU admitted that “these violations are major,” according to the report.

AU’s wins from 2020-21 season when the athlete participated on the men’s basketball team have been vacated and a self-imposed fine of $5,000 was accepted by the NCAA. The program also faces three years of probation, and Metress is faced with a two-year show-cause order, in which he must attend regional rules seminars for the next two seasons. Metress also must attend monthly meetings with the school's senior compliance administrator for rules education. The report also states Metress must collaborate with academic services to develop and implement a "best practices" guide related to student-athlete academics and must participate in ethics training during the second year of the show-cause period.

Armstrong faces a two-year show-cause order. Any NCAA school employing him during this period would have to “restrict him from all athletically related activities,” the report stated. He currently is out of coaching.

This past season, the Jaguars reached the NCAA Division II national championship game before losing to Northwest Missouri State 67-58 in AU’s winningest season (33-4) in program history.

During the 2021-22 season, the Jaguars were led by volunteer and former legendary collegiate coach Lenny Carlson and assistant coach Zack Tinkham in the five games Metress was suspended at the start of campaign. While they went 5-0 without Metress last season, it is now unknown if Carlson will return to help during the 2022-23 season.