One of the nation's most prominent prep basketball coaches was ousted on Monday after long running allegations of "undue influence" as a method of convincing players to transfer to his school finally convinced school officials he couldn't continue with the program.
As reported by Online Sports Guys and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, among other outlets, Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton High basketball coach David Boyd, who led the program to state titles in 2010 and 2012, was removed as the program's head coach, while the school's principal, Clifford Jones, simultaneously self reported "undue influence" violations to the Georgia High School Association.
Stripped of any jargon, Boyd essentially is being accused of recruiting other high school players, a strict no-no on a national level in competitions. It's certainly illegal at public schools like Milton.
There's no questioning the statistical heft behind Boyd's career achievements in the state of Georgia. The coach has an incredible 604 career victories in 32 years as a head coach in the Peach state, including state titles at four different schools.
Of all his stops, Boyd may not have made a bigger impression than at Milton. His 2010 championship squad was loaded with top recruits, and his 2012 team feature plenty of potential college players as well.
The issue was simply that far too many of those players may have come to Milton specifically to play basketball, and done so after being asked by Boyd. Online Sports Guys noted three different players who competed for Milton in 2012 after leaving teams in other Georgia cities. Two other additions were even more egregious, arriving at the school after parachuting in from other states.
For his part, Boyd has denied any wrongdoing, instead claiming all he was trying to do was help athletes from traditionally rougher backgrounds.
"If helping players, some of whom may be coming from the other side of the tracks, if helping those players be successful, do well in school, become good citizens, earn scholarships, play in a winning program; if that's undue influence, then guilty as charged," Boyd told WSBTV's Mike Petchenik.
Now Boyd will have to find yet another landing spot, all while Milton searches for a way to maintain its recent dominance without the man who was clearly the architect of that success, as Jones laid out in an email he sent to the Milton community on Monday.
"As we move forward there will be a thorough investigation and the development of a comprehensive strategy to move our program to new heights of integrity and excellence. In the days ahead, I ask that we support our student athletes, their families, and the program."
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