NCAA Eligibility Center

Tinkle to chair Division I Men’s Basketball Ethics Coalition

Tinkle wants ethics coalition members to provide a steadying voice for those in his profession.

Wayne Tinkle, who coached Oregon State to an Elite Eight appearance in the Division I men’s basketball tournament in March, will chair the Division I Men’s Basketball Ethics Coalition for the next year . With changes coming at a fast and furious pace in Division I men’s basketball, from the one-time transfer exception; name, image and likeness endorsement deals for student-athletes; and possible changes to the governance structure of the NCAA, coaches must maneuver numerous issues . Men’s basketball coaches are also waiting for more infractions cases to be settled in the fallout from the scandal that rocked the sport in September 2017, when four assistant coaches were arrested on fraud and corruption charges after an FBI investigation . The scandal involved charges of a major sportswear company funneling money to players and of coaches taking bribes to steer student-athletes toward certain financial advisors and agents. While the parts keep moving, Tinkle wants ethics coalition members to provide a steadying voice for those in his profession . Tinkle, who is entering his eighth season at Oregon State, wants the coalition to focus on the group’s three foundation pillars: education, leadership and mentoring. The goal is to influence younger head and assistant coaches to do things by the book . “We don’t have the power, but we hope to get some momentum to get people to think more seriously about handling their business the right way,” Tinkle said . “If we don’t do that, it will be hard to help mentor the up-and-coming coaches . ” One of the biggest obstacles is the lack of a blueprint for how to handle issues such as name, image and likeness endorsements as schools operate under differing state laws or perhaps none at all . Tinkle advises coaches to focus on creating a positive atmosphere for student-athletes, and to help facilitate the avenues for their players to pursue their goals along those name, image and likeness lines . The other priority is adjusting to the first year of men’s basketball student-athletes being able to transfer to another school and being allowed to play right away, as long as they meet academic requirements, without sitting for a year . By rule, coaches aren’t supposed to reach out to players until they enter their name in the Transfer Portal . But proving someone broke this rule can be hard . “It’s a concern,” Tinkle said . “There is going to be pressure on coaches to start a new recruiting list that keeps track of players who have the one-time transfer exemption available to them . How we will be able to control this and enforce the rules? I’m not sure . ” The ethics coalition members plan a thorough discussion on this because roster management is a key to every men’s basketball program, as well as the virtual conversations that took place over the past year during the moratorium on in-person contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Like many coaches, Tinkle welcomed the return of inperson evaluations this summer . “There are definitely parts of talking to recruits and their parents on Zoom that can continue,” Tinkle said . “But there are so many advantages to bringing someone in to see your campus . We had a couple of official visits in June, and one of the young men was from the East Coast . He was blown away by the beauty of Corvallis, Oregon . That is hard to replicate if you can’t get them to campus . ”