NCAA investigating USM for possible violations under Donnie Tyndall
The NCAA is investigating the Southern Miss men's basketball program for potential rules violations under former coach Donnie Tyndall, multiple sources confirmed to CBSSports.com on Thursday afternoon.
Tyndall is now the head coach at Tennessee.
The investigation, first reported by Bleacher Report, is focusing on how tuition and other expenses were paid for some recruits who signed with the Golden Eagles but were not yet eligible for scholarships.
One source told CBSSports.com there's no timetable for a possible notice of allegations from the NCAA. Another labeled the situation as "serious" and suggested the operating theory is that Tyndall will have a hard time avoiding fault.
"The university is working together with the NCAA to review potential issues related to our men's basketball program," said Southern Miss athletic director Bill McGillis. "In order to maintain the integrity of our joint process, and pursuant to NCAA policy, we cannot comment further regarding any details of our review at this time."
Tyndall did not immediately return a call from CBSSports.com seeking comment.
What this might mean for Tyndall's future at Tennessee is unclear, though it should be noted that the school fired Bruce Pearl during an NCAA investigation in March 2011.
Either way, Tyndall's current program is already paying a price. On Thursday afternoon, Chris Clarke decommitted from Tennessee and committed to Buzz Williams' Virginia Tech Hokies. Clarke is ranked 60th in the Class of 2015, according to 247 Sports.
