This from the Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio State fires O'Brien
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ohio State Athletics Director Andy Geiger today announced the firing of men's basketball coach Jim O'Brien because of an admitted violation of NCAA rules, specifically that O'Brien gave $6,000 to a prospective student athlete.
Associate head coach Rick Boyages will be the interim head coach until a permanent coach is named.
O'Brien released the following statement through his attorney, James Zeszutek:
"I learned this morning, by letter, that I was being fired as head men's basketball coach at Ohio State University for alleged violations of NCAA bylaws. I am advised that my firing is because I was asked to and tried to give assistance to a young man's family who was in dire financial straits. The assistance in no way influenced the young man in his decision to attend OSU, and, indeed, the young man did not enroll at OSU.
"My lawyers have asked to meet with OSU administrators and their counsel to explain the details of what occurred, but OSU unfortunately refused to do so. I am grateful for the support I have received from the people in Columbus and throughout the State of Ohio while I have been coaching at OSU."
Zeszutek said that he and O'Brien requested to speak with Ohio State administrators and counsel to explain the details of what occurred, but the university refused that request.
O'Brien compiled a 119-72 record in seven seasons at Ohio State and has a 368-305 record in 22 seasons as a college head coach.
He was hired as the 12th head men's basketball coach at Ohio State at the start of the 1997-98 season. His OSU teams reached the 1999 Final Four, won 2000 and 2002 Big Ten regular-season co-championships and won the 2002 Big Ten Tournament championship. He posted four 20-victory seasons and a school record four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1999-2002).
Following the 1999 Final Four run, O'Brien was honored as the 1999 Clair Bee Coach of the Year, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He also was the 1999 National Coach of the Year as named by the Touchdown Club of Columbus; the 1999 National Co-Coach of the Year as named by the National Association of Basketball Coaches; the 1999 Big Ten Coach of the Year as selected by the Big Ten media and the 1999 U.S. Basketball Writers Association District 5 Coach of the Year. He also was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2001, when the media gave him the honor for the second time in three seasons.
Ohio State was O'Brien's third head-coaching job. He spent 11 seasons at Boston College, where his teams made NCAA Tournament appearances in three of his past four seasons.
St. Bonaventure hired O'Brien in 1982. He stayed four years before going to Boston College, his alma mater, 1986.
He seems like he might be a compassionate guy, especially if he has given that kind of money to families of kids who had no basketball talent. I will not totally condemn a guy IF this was a one-time case that occurred so long ago. That said, it still warrants his dismissal.