If there’s one thing we can learn from the recent NCAA investigation it’s that we are in dire need of a new compliance director. Nothing against Bracky Brett personally, but he is in way over his head.
At any other school this never sees the light of day. You punish the “rogue booster” and assistant coach internally and move on down the road. But not with our compliance department. No – we have the NCAA on speed dial. We report when our soccer team misses class (with an excused absense) to do charity work. We report everything.
Not only are things mishandled up front, but they are mishandled during the investigation as well.
Will Redmond was sent into an interrogation without any representation by an attorney. He should have been advised by a lawyer paid for by MSU prior to answering any questions – that is just common sense.
To determine that Redmond received a “discount”, MSU compliance had his car appraised and found it had been purchased “$2,000 below its value”. Seriously? We are going to submit to the NCAA that he received a discount on a car on something as subjective as an automobile appraisal? Here’s a tip next time: don’t stop until you find an appraiser who gives you a number that is in line with the purchase price. Again, this is just common sense.
In today’s day in age SEC schools hire lawyers and former NCAA investigators to run their compliance departments. We have the former Starkville High School football and baseball coach.
There are people who say, ‘what is holding back MSU’s recruiting?’. Well, it’s our compliance department.
When you have Barney Fife following you around to see if you commit the slightest violation so he can quickly report to the NCAA, it doesn’t make things easier that’s for sure. When you have a year-long investigation into your football program for some petty violations that should have never even seen the light of day, you are recruiting with one hand tied behind your back.
Maybe Bracky Brett was a fine choice when one Larry Templeton hired him. Not now. Not when all the other schools are hiring big guns to man theirs. It’s time for Scott Stricklin to re-assign him within the athletic department and spend some money on someone who will end up saving us money in the long run.
Right now we are skating on thin ice as a potential repeat offender for the next 7 years. Now is the time to make a change for the better. We need to stay out of trouble and have a clearer path to recruit on a more competitive level. Get out of the way MSU compliance – become part of the solution, not the problem.