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AUSTIN, Tex. (KBTX) – Texas University tennis coach Michael Center was sacked on Wednesday, a day after his arrest and charges for what officials have described as the biggest fraud on university admissions ever prosecuted by the ministry of Justice.
Michael Center. (Photo of the University of Texas)
Assistant head coach Bruce Berque will be the interim head coach, the university announced in a press release.
"After working with campus leaders to review the recent situation with Michael Center, we decided to remove him from his position as male tennis coach," said Sports Director Chris Del Conte.
"It's a very difficult decision and we are grateful for the years of service he has provided, but winning with integrity will always be a top priority at the University of Texas and it was a decision to make.
Center, 54, charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and postal fraud related to honest services, was arrested on Tuesday and appeared for the first time before a federal magistrate on Tuesday afternoon.
His bond was set at $ 50,000.
He must subsequently appear in a Massachusetts court, where the national inquiry was opened.
The center is accused of accepting $ 100,000 in 2015 as a bribe for a student from Los Altos Hills, California, who did not play competitive tennis as a rookie.
The center was put on administrative leave, announced the university in a statement Tuesday.
"We continue to collect information and revise our processes.From what we know now, we believe that it was an isolated incident in 2015 that involved a coach and no other university employee, "said UT in his release.
Court documents indicate that a California-based admission consulting firm by William "Rick" Singer had received $ 25 million from 2011 through February 2019 to facilitate bribes.
Singer, of Newport Beach, Calif., Pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Boston US court to charges of racket conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Parents spent between $ 200,000 and $ 6.5 million to guarantee the admission of their children to elite schools, authorities said.
"In exchange for the bribe, the U-Texas coach named the son of one of Singer's clients, who was not playing tennis, as a rookie of the team. University tennis, thus facilitating his admission to U-Texas, "according to a court document. said.
Center, now in its 19th season in Austin, is 365-137 in 18 seasons with the men's team.
Martin Fox, 62, president of a private tennis academy and camp in Houston, is accused of introducing Singer to Center and organizing bribes similar twice with coaches from the University of San Diego.
He has been charged with conspiracy for racketeering.
Niki Williams, 44, an assistant high school teacher in Houston, who works as a test administrator for College Board and ACT, Inc., is accused of accepting bribes to allow Mark Riddell of Palmetto, in Florida, to secretly take ACT and SAT. testing instead of the children of Singer's clients or to replace their exam answers with his own.
Singer sent him bribes via Fox, according to court documents, but in July 2018, Singer directly sent him a check for $ 5,000.
She was charged with conspiracy for racketeering.
Riddell was charged with conspiracy to commit mail and honest service fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to launder money.
John Wilson has been charged in the South Texas District for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest service fraud, the Department of Justice said.
Wilson, 59, of Hyannis Port, Mass., Is the founder and CEO of a private equity and real estate development firm;
Nine elite school coaches and 33 parents accused of paying what prosecutors have called "huge sums" to guarantee the admission of their children are named in the indictments.
Coaches are accused of accepting bribes to admit students to schools such as Wake Forest University, Georgetown University, and the University of Southern California.
Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are among the defendants.
Prosecutors allege that in addition to bribing coaches or sports officials to make students believe they were recruits, the scheme also involved bribing those who administered the college entrance exams to provide answers. modify the answers or allow another person to take the exam take classes instead of the student.
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