In addition to a $5,000 fine, Siena College’s Division I men’s basketball team must vacate all its victories — and stats from 28 players — from 2015 through 2018 after the NCAA found several violations in the program under former head coach Jimmy Patsos.
Patsos, who was fired from the private college in Albany County in 2018, allegedly gave cash payments and provided long-distance rides to players. The NCAA saysPatsos also directed the former director of basketball operations, a non-coaching position, to provide coaching to the team. The NCAA says Patsos acknowledged some of the violations, but claimed he misunderstood the rules.
Siena’s program will be on probation for three years. Patsos, who has not coached since being fired from Siena, faces a three-year show cause order severely restricting his ability to coach at another college. Siena was also punished over the behavior of an athletics booster during the investigation. That booster is not allowed to have any contact with the program until 2023.
The NCAA found Patsos paid players between $60 and $100 apiece after victories at least twice every season, which it considers an impermissible benefit.
The punishments do not affect the current Siena men’s basketball team, which won the regular season conference title and begins tournament play on Wednesday.
In a 2013 interview with WAMC, Patsos said:
"I'm not going to do whatever it takes to win games. I'm going to win games the right way."
