The NCAA has reached a resolution with Alabama and former baseball coach Brad Bohannon, who was fired after attempting to place a wager against the Crimson Tide in their matchup against LSU on April 28.
As part of that resolution, new details about Bohannon’s alleged actions have been revealed.
Alabama ace pitcher [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] (identified in the NCAA’s resolution as “student-athlete 1”) was healthy-scratched by Bohannon ahead of his expected start in Game 1. Through a proxy, Bohannon then allegedly attempted to have a $100,000 bet placed on LSU to win Game 1 at a BetMGM sportsbook inside Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
According to the NCAA’s findings, Bohannon used the encrypted messaging app Signal to text the bettor, “Hammer … (student-athlete 1) is out for sure … Lemme know when I can tell LSU … Hurry.”
The staff at the sportsbook limited the bettor to a $15,000 bet, at which point the bettor attempted to place additional bets but was stopped due to “suspicious activity.”
That suspicious activity reportedly included making statements indicating that the bet was a sure thing and “if you guys only knew what I knew.” The bettor even apparently showed the sportsbook staff the messages containing insider betting info.
Bohannon texted the bettor: "HAMMER … (pitcher) is out for sure … Lemme know when I can tell LSU… Hurry." pic.twitter.com/WolOtUwIrS
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) February 1, 2024
Bohannon ultimately faces a 15-year show-cause penalty that would suspend him for the first five years of his tenure in the event a school tried to hire him during that time.
The institution received mitigated punishment due to its cooperation. Alabama baseball faces three years of probation and will pay a $5,000 fine.
Holman, meanwhile, entered the transfer portal following this ordeal and, ironically, landed at LSU. He is expected to hold a weekend starting spot in 2024, potentially as the Friday night starter.
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