Updated 10/26: Arizona head coach Augie Busch says that the NCAA did not allege a Level I charge against him. The original ‘Athletic’ reporting was that the NCAA alleged “Lack of Head Coach Control,” which is either a Level I or Level II violation under NCAA rules. Busch says that he is not allowed by Arizona compliance officials to discuss the matter further at this time.
The NCAA has charged the University of Arizona with nine rules violations, including five of the most serious Level I allegations, The Athletic reported on Sunday.
While most of the national headlines will focus on the allegations levied against the school’s high-profile basketball program, The Athletic reports that it also includes a charge of “lack of head coach control” by head men’s and women’s swimming & diving coach Augie Busch.
The Athletic cites a letter to the NCAA from Arizona’s outside counsel, Paul Kelly, requesting that the school’s infractions case be referred to the newly created Independent Accountability Resolution Process. The University of Arizona has acknowledged the Notice of Allegations.
The basketball allegations are the latest to arise from an investigation into college basketball conducted by the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of New York. The scandal involves large payments to top prospects, bribes paid to college officials to steer athletes to certain agents, and payments to high school coaches. The investigations, which also implicate shoe companies, have rocked the college basketball world and has also been cited at other schools like Memphis, Kansas, LSU, Louisville, and NC State.
No reporting has yet probed into why the charge was levied against Busch, and the school has not responded to our request for more information.
The NCAA ‘presumes’ that a head coach is responsible for a Level I or Level II violation, because the NCAA believes that a head coach should maintain control and promote an atmosphere of compliance within their programs.
Busch’s former assistant coach, and younger brother, Sammy Busch, was cited in a Level II case at TCU, for which he was given a one-year show cause order, among other penalties. Their father is Frank Busch, the former USA Swimming National Team Director who served as the head coach at the University of Arizona from 1989 to 2011. That included leading the team to 2 NCAA team championships, 49 NCAA individual titles, and 31 NCAA relay titles.
Since his departure, the head coaching role has been tumultuous for the Wildcats. That includes a mid-season resignation for his successor Eric Hansen in 2013 after numerous allegations. That included an altercation between him and a roommate where police had to be called to the residence, and a very late night, or early morning, swim practice after the team lost a dual meet to the University of Utah.
Among other upheavels in the program since Frank Busch’s departure include violations committed by former diving coach Omar Ojeda that led the program to 2 years of probation and the loss of a women’s scholarship. In 2018, the school rescinded an offer of employment to John Appleman as the school’s next head diving coach.
This is in addition to a number of assistant coaches who have left the program under controversy.
The athletics department is still under probation until January 2021 as a result of the violations in the women’s diving program.
The Arizona men finished 2nd at the 2020 Pac-12 Championships, while the women finished 6th.
2 years ago Botsford and Chitwood were fired as well from that program. https://swimswam.com/arizona-parts-ways-with-coaches-cory-chitwood-and-beth-botsford/
Braden, can you elaborate on the new paragraph in bold? Augie states that there is NO level 1 charge against him, which contradicts The Atlantic reporting?
It does not contradict the Atlantic reporting. Because a Lack of Head Coach Control can relate to a Level I or Level II charge, the Atlantic reporting can be accurate (Lack of Head Coach Control charge) and it can be not a Level I charge.
Either way, the “reset” button needs to be hit now!
Thank you! Augie denied the Level 1 charge and did not address the level 2 charge.
Correct
Smells funny here. Walks like a duck. Talks like a duck. Probably
During Covid this is scary given everything else….
Augie looks like Derrek Zoolander in the photo above. Kyren has spoken.
Hopefully more details come out. My kid is looking at AZ and we are not privy to past transgressions at VA, true or not
Isn’t Arizona swimming still on NCAA probation from the diving coach violations? Didn’t they lose a scholarship through 2021?
Haven’t been an Augie or Sam fan since a UVA visit with my then college junior. I hate it too because we loved the school!
RECRUITS BEWARE: Wake up! Walk away from any recruiting opportunity at a Busch school, and definitely do not sign a NLI to attend their programs. OH. MY. LORD!!!!! Please tell me they are DONE with coaching?!?
So my daughter is being recruited right now at UofA, is he that bad of a coach? What makes him bad I cant make it out in these blogs
He coaches cause he’s got nothing else to do an took the easy way into a job through his dad not because he has a passion for the sport and developing young adults.
You have to. Do your research for your daughter, she is about to make a life long decision. It’s not just this article, it’s all articles related to him and his brother. UA is a great program with amazing opportunities, but not while he is coach.
Keep in mind that with the exception of Ryan Guerra (although I have no idea how he relates to my program) all of these commenters are operating from anonymity.
I was there before Augie, and was with him every step of the way for the past three years. These vile comments are nothing short of lies and slander. He helped save my program from the nosedive we were taking and am forever grateful that he was chosen as my head coach. Nepotism aside, he was the right choice then, and still is now.
Take the swimswam comment section with a grain of salt. These people are mostly interested in acting on their grudges, not whats best for an athlete, team,… Read more »
Ok but when a coach has enough grudges with enough people…isn’t that a sign of a bigger problem?
I guess the NCAA is just acting on their grudges as well.
In most sports, what’s about to come down on Arizona would result in a post-season ban, especially given that the program was already on probation. In swimming & diving? I don’t know if we’ve seen much of that, but it’s going to be hard to cover up for Augie anymore when the team doesn’t get to race at NCAAs for a couple of years.
I would say to almost never listen to the SwimSwam comment section. This is one of the few exceptions. Augie may have the swimming knowledge to be a NCAA D1 head coach but in no way does he have the decision making ability, temperament, or morals to lead an NCAA program.
Justin – VERY GLAD you chimed in with your comment. As a poster who enjoys pushing buttons on linguistics and social philosophy, there are times when comments from anonymous individuals can adversely effect choices of PSAs. In AMERiCA one is innocent until PROVEN guilty. It is safe to say the vast majority of coaches rub a small percentage of SAs the wrong way…frequently most of those individuals return to the coach after time and experience has endured with a fondness and appreciation for lessons learned or imposed. I do not know the “real” story with Coach Busch at AU or his time at UVA. To any parent or coach considering AU – Know it is an amazing place with fabulous… Read more »
don’t listen to Justin wright
Look at all the other comments on the article and Busch Lite’s other articles. One thing is clear, the vast majority don’t believe he can coach, are happy when he leaves a program and think he received his job because of Daddy. He cannot hire positive role models as we have seen posted here and in other articles as well.
Yes Mr. Wright, you are wrong. Your personal experience and positivity you had is nothing compared to the torment, psychological and emotional issues this family and Augie, have put on others.
We do not know what the issue at hand are but the mass exodus of coaches, athletes, poor finishes, losing to ASU for the first time … ever… Read more »
Joe what years did you swim there? I swam in the D group 1992.
Do your research! Find out why he left UVA.
When it comes to making commitment decisions, I would take into consideration the amount of transfers. With the high number of female transfers, it’s likely he handles women differently, and not in a good way…
augie ruined my daughter emotionally and as a swimmer