The Arizona Board of Regents held an emergency executive session on Saturday to discuss Sean Miller and reports that he discussed paying $100,000 to land Deandre Ayton, and will reconvene soon to receive more legal advice.
"This is an emotionally charged issue but it is essential that we move forward decisively and based on facts," Regents chair Bill Ridenour said. "We must do everything we can to ensure that our programs are of the highest caliber as we must also protect the rights of all involved and respect due process for employees. The board is reviewing its oversight of athletics and has been making reforms to its policies to ensure greater public accountability. The board is committed to meeting in the next several days as new information becomes available and to receive additional legal advice.โ
Miller will not coach the Arizona Wildcats tonight at Oregon but said in a statement that he is confident he will be vindicated, while the school said forward Deandre Ayton will play and Lorenzo Romar will serve as interim head coach.
An ESPN report published Friday night said Miller was captured on a federal wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to ensure Ayton signed with the Wildcats.
Ayton's lawyer told ESPN that the prospect was interviewed by the FBI more than six months ago. Ayton told them that he never sought money to commit to the UA, the lawyer said, and committed to Miller because of his family's ties to Phoenix. He finished high school there.ย
Arizona freshman DeAndre Ayton was questioned by FBI about alleged pay-for-play scheme and denied knowledge; his attorney asks for FBI and NCAA to clear his name pic.twitter.com/9cBJzPZQm8
— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) February 25, 2018
Ayton's family has demanded that he be cleared by both the FBI and NCAA.ย The Wildcats and Ducks play at 8:15 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.ย
Earlier Saturday, Miller issued a statement that read:ย "I believe it is in the best interest of our team that I not coach the game tonight," Miller said in a statement. "I continue to fully support the University's efforts to fully investigate this matter and am confident that I will be vindicated. For now, my thoughts are with our team. They are a great group of young men that will support each other and continue their pursuit of winning a Pac-12 championship."
Arizona issued an accompanying statement: "The University of Arizona and head basketball coach Sean Miller have agreed that it is in the best interests of the University and the basketball program that he will not coach tonight's game in Eugene, Oregon. Associate head coach Lorenzo Romar will coach in his place. Deandre Ayton is eligible and will play tonight."
Romar has the most head-coaching experience among Arizona's three assistant coaches, but has been tangentially linked to the ongoing FBI investigation because of documents that an agent paid former Husky guard Markelle Fultz $10,000. Mark Phelps, Arizona's only other full-time assistant, was suspended for two games in November after he admitted breaking an unspecified NCAA rule.
Austin Carroll, UA's assistant director of basketball operations, has been an on-court coach since Emanuel "Book" Richardson was arrested and charged with multiple felonies in September.ย
