OSU suspends Lamont Evans in wake of federal criminal charges

The acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan says the picture of college basketball painted by criminal charges his office brought against four college assistant coaches and an Adidas executive is not a pretty one.

Joon Kim made the comment at a news conference Tuesday after the charges were unsealed in Manhattan federal court. Assistant coaches at Arizona, Auburn, the University of Southern California and Oklahoma State were expected to appear in courts later Tuesday to face the charges.

Federal charges filed against Oklahoma State University Associate Head Basketball Coach Lamont Evans include:

1. Conspiracy to commit bribery.
2. Solicitation of bribes and gratuities by an agent of a federally funded organization.
3. Conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.
4. Honest service wire fraud.
5. Wire fraud conspiracy.
6. Travel Act conspiracy.

Evans served as an assistant coach for the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball program at South Carolina when the investigation started in 2015. He was hired at OSU in April 2016. In an affidavit filed in the federal case, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation stated Lamont’s involvement in the criminal activity continued while he was at OSU, up until this month.

Oklahoma State University announced Tuesday afternoon that it has suspended Evans in the wake of the charges against him.

“Based on the serious and troubling allegations in the complaint, Oklahoma State University has suspended assistant coach Lamont Evans,” the statement reads. “We are cooperating with federal officials. We have been in contact with the NCAA and will provide additional information as it becomes available. OSU takes seriously the high standards of conduct expected in our athletic department and does not tolerate any deviation from those standards.”

Other college coaches charged include Auburn assistant Chuck Person, Emanuel Richardson of Arizona and USC assistant Tony Bland.

Auburn announced Person has been suspended, and USC is bringing in former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh to conduct an internal investigation. Managers, financial advisers and representatives of major international sports companies have also been charged.

Evans is accused of taking at least $22,000 in bribes in exchange for pushing players at Oklahoma State and South Carolina to sign with certain managers.

Evans was hired at Oklahoma State as part of former coach Brad Underwood’s staff. Oklahoma State retained and promoted him from his old position as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator following the hiring of Mike Boynton as coach.