By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN —
Okay, West Virginia University finally got that barn door closed.
Now, where is that horse they had locked behind it?
New athletic director Oliver Luck has addressed the issue of a compliance department that was in complete disarray as quickly as he could, hiring Keli Cunningham to run it on Monday. It just wasn’t fast enough to keep Rich Rodriguez’s transgressions, followed by Bill Stewart’s failure to notice that there were transgressions going on, from reaching the NCAA, which is considering sanctions against the football program.
That Luck moved rapidly and decisively is crucial in carrying a message to all sports that the days of self-governance are over and there is someone not only to turn to when there are questions, but someone who is charged with overseeing all aspects of compliance.
A native of Petersburg in possession of a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from WVU in sports management, Keli Cunningham is well prepared to face what can only be considered a challenging situation, coming into an office that has been tarnished by its lack of control over the past few years.
She was at Maryland, since 2004, first as compliance coordinator, a year later being promoted to assistant athletic director compliance, which is the same title she carries at WVU now.
Maryland is a larger, more comprehensive athletic department with 700 student-athletes in 27 varsity sports.
Her duties were far ranging there, just as they will be at WVU, as she served as the primary contact for financial aid. She awarded athletic financial aid to all prospective and current Terrapin student-athletes. She also administered the national letter of intent process, monitored NCAA squad lists and provided rules education and interpretations to Terrapin coaches and student-athletes. Cunningham also compiled NCAA and ACC waivers and appeals in addition to assisting senior-level management with the investigation and reporting of violations.
With WVU tettering upon the edge of NCAA sanctions from five major violations and two minor, her job is to completely revamp the department and to see that coaches and athletes are educated in the rules and, more importantly, in the ethics that are necessary to see that rules are neither bent nor broken simply out of a desire to gain an advantage.
It is not a simple task, but certainly a necessary one as the Mountaineers are nearing what could be considered some major problems with the NCAA as the football violations follow not far behind some soccer violations.
There has been a great deal of turnover and flux in the compliance department at WVU over the last few years, leaving it without strong enough leadership to get away with challenging any coaching decisions or to demand the coaches run everything past them.
Most recently assistant athletic director Patrick Hairston was running the compliance end, but he now shifts full time to the General Counsel’s office to assist in the preparing of WVU’s defense against the NCAA allegations before the Committee of Infractions in February.
This is almost, if not as important, as the Cunningham hire itself.
“We think it is critical for Patrick to coordinate the university team that is preparing the response to the NCAA allegations”, Luck said. “His comprehensive knowledge of the NCAA and understanding of the upcoming process will benefit us as we move forward.”
While it isn’t thought that WVU will be hit hard by the NCAA, such as limiting TV or bowl appearances, it seems that the organization is trying to drive home a point and making an example of the school and coach Rich Rodriguez, who was accused of violations both at WVU and at Michigan, where his reputation has been tarnished by losing as well as the NCAA charges.
Cunningham understands the situation into which she walks and knows the direction Luck wishes her to take.
“I have had great conversations with Oliver Luck, and we share the same vision and philosophy, which makes this move to WVU that much more attractive to me,” she said.
While it will take Cunningham a while to settle in, one of her first orders of business has to be an education program for the coaches, including the assistants and graduate assistants so that there can be no passing the buck, saying things went on from those at the bottom rung without the head coach’s knowledge or approval.
As for pleading ignorance, that does not lessen the violation. In fact, it multiples the strength of it for no member of the athletic department needs to be ignorant of the rules and regulations under which it must operate.
Now, we must hope that Keli Cunningham has checked to make sure that K-E-L-I is an NCAA approved spelling of Kelly.
E-mail Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com.
