Posted at 9:25 a.m., Thursday, January 31, 2008
CBKB: Jim O'Brien cleared to return to coaching
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jim O'Brien won an appeal today and can return to the college sidelines after he had been fired by Ohio State and essentially banned from coaching by the NCAA for paying a recruit.The NCAA's ruling on March 10, 2006, all but prevented any colleges from hiring O'Brien. The governing body of college sports also said seven rules violations took place at Ohio State while he was coach.
A year after the initial ruling, the NCAA threw out three of those violations and part of a fourth because the association's enforcement staff missed a deadline for filing the charges.
Any further restrictions on future employment were lifted by Thursday's ruling by an NCAA appeals committee, leaving O'Brien free to return to coaching.
