Former Ohio State women’s hockey coach Jenny Potter departed from the program unexpectedly on Aug. 18, just five days before classes began. Now, a new report by the Grand Forks Herald claims her contract was terminated by the university following several NCAA violations.
According to documents obtained by the Grand Forks Herald, the NCAA violations included hosting an official visit before a prospect’s start to her senior year, recruiting during a dead period, an impermissible tryout and having Potter’s husband, a non-staff member, recruit on behalf of the program and university.
On Aug. 29, 11 days after Potter’s departure, OSU reported a violation that took place in January 2016 concerning a meeting Potter and her husband held with a recruit at a coffee shop and her husband recruiting on behalf of the program.
“Coach Potter asserts that her husband did not have recruiting conversations with the prospect at the coffee house,” the report states. “However, the prospect provided information that contradicted coach Potter’s assertion and the institution finds the prospect’s statement to be more credible than coach Potter’s.”
Per NCAA Bylaw 13.1.2.2 (e) the spouse of an institutional staff member is permitted to recruit on campus and within a 30-mile radius of the institution’s main campus. This particular incident occurred outside of the 30-mile limitation.
“Furthermore, because coach Potter’s husband was recruiting on behalf of the institution, the women’s ice hockey program exceeded its limit of permissible off-campus recruiters under NCAA Bylaw 11.7.6,” the report states.
Due to this violation, OSU reported that it had declared the incoming student-athlete ineligible until her eligibility is restored by the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff. Also, the response to the violation states, “The institution has since terminated the employment of the head women’s ice hockey coach and one of the assistant women’s ice hockey coaches.”
OSU said in the response that it believed no further action was necessary.
The Grand Forks Herald states that Potter held an impermissible evaluation of a prospect by playing a pickup game at a rink away from campus with the prospect.
OSU also reported a violation of holding an official visit for a prospect before that prospect began her senior-year high school classes, under NCAA Bylaw 13.6.
Former Minnesota assistant coach Nadine Muzerall was named OSU head coach on Sept. 10.
Buckeyes open play on Sept. 30 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
