Missouri head basketball coach Frank Haith has been suspended five games for a "failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance" during his coaching stint at the University of Miami.
The NCAA's Division I Committee on Infractions announced the suspension on Tuesday as part of its findings stemming from a two-year investigation into the Hurricanes' athletic department. The suspension will be served during the first five games of the 2013-14 season.
Miami's basketball program will also lose one scholarship for the next three seasons.
Haith, who accepted the Missouri job back in 2011 prior to the Yahoo! Sports investigative report on the Miami program and former booster Nevin Shapiro, did not take the proper steps to comply with NCAA rules when running the Miami program, according to the committee. Shapiro is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence on a felony conviction for securities fraud and money laundering.
Per the NCAA report: "The former head men's basketball coach failed to meet his responsibilities as a head coach when he did not monitor the activities of his assistant coaches, and attempted to cover up the booster's threats to disclose incriminating information."
The report found that Haith and his assistants were involved in financial disagreements with Shapiro and eventually helped make a $10,000 payment to the booster's mother to end the threats.
"As the leader of a high-profile basketball program, he had a responsibility to make sure he and his staff followed the rules. However, the former coach did not meet his responsibilities and this conduct resulted in violations," the report stated. "The committee noted that had he asked about the basis of the threats and the former assistant coaches’ relationship with the booster, he could have recognized potential concerns or taken the issue to the compliance office."
Haith must also attend on NCAA Regional Rules seminar following the 2013-14 academic year.
Additionally, former Miami assistant Jorge Fernandez was assessed with a two-year show cause (Oct. 22, 2013-Oct. 21, 2015).
Missouri tips off its 2013-14 season on Nov. 8 with a five-game stretch of Southeastern Louisiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, Gardner Webb and IUPUI.
