SEATTLE — With a brief, formal letter, the NCAA informed the University of Washington on Monday that it has completed its investigation into allegations of misconduct by former assistant coach Tosh Lupoi, and it has determined that further action is not necessary.
Tom Hosty, the NCAA’s Director of Enforcement, wrote in a letter to UW president Michael Young that “the enforcement staff does not believe that further action is warranted.”
Hosty added, though, that “if additional information is developed, the staff reserves the right to look further into these matters.”
Lupoi was the subject of an investigation after the Los Angeles Times reported in mid-December that he made $4,500 in cash payments to Mike Davis, a former assistant track coach at Lynnwood High School, to help pay for tutoring and online classes for former UW recruit Andrew Basham.
Basham, who played at Lynnwood High School, signed as part of UW’s 2013 recruiting class, but did not qualify academically.
In a statement issued on Twitter shortly after the report was published, Lupoi denied wrongdoing as the school and the NCAA investigated. It was originally thought that he would join Steve Sarkisian’s staff at USC, but the investigation apparently nixed that possibility.
Lupoi took to Twitter again Monday to release a statement about the conclusion of the investigation, writing: “I want to thank the NCAA and the UW for their professionalism and thoroughness during this investigation. I stated from the beginning that an honest and thorough investigation would clear my name, and prove these attacks against me were untrue. The results speak for themselves.”
Lupoi, who coached at UW the past two seasons under former coach Sarkisian, was not retained on the staff of new coach Chris Petersen. Instead, Lupoi and UW agreed to a mutual separation agreement that included a $300,000 payment to Lupoi.
He has not yet found other employment, though the separation agreement does not restrict his options. Considered one of the nation’s top recruiters, Lupoi came to UW after spending four seasons as defensive line coach at California, where he played from 2000-05.
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