(SportsNetwork.com) - Bethune-Cookman's highly successful former football coach Brian Jenkins has been accused of possible NCAA violations and wrongdoing by former players and assistant coaches.
According to a report in the Montgomery Advertiser this weekend, Jenkins, who spent the last five seasons at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school before leaving in December for Alabama State, was accused in interviews by more than a dozen former players and four of Jenkins' former assistants of such indiscretions as:
- improper benefits provided to players;
- improper housing arrangements;
- violations of the NCAA weekly practice time limits;
- failure to pay three assistant coaches that resulted in a federal lawsuit;
- bullying of staff and players, including threatening at least two players with a knife.
During his tenure at Bethune-Cookman, Jenkins compiled a 46-14 record, won or tied for four MEAC titles and earned three FCS playoff berths. He was named MEAC coach of the year three times.
Bethune-Cookman said it had looked into the allegations before Jenkins departed and that, "Anything that needed to be reported (to the conference and NCAA) was reported."