CBS: Haith faces "failure to monitor" charge from NCAA

CBS' Dennis Dodd reports that Frank Haith is not facing the dreaded "unethical conduct" charge from his time at Miami(one that would have potentially been accompanied by a show-cause penalty), but he is still facing a "failure to monitor" allegation, one that could result in minor to moderate penalties.

Missouri basketball coach Frank Haith faces a failure to monitor charge in the Miami notice of allegations passed on by the NCAA Tuesday night, CBSSports.com has learned.

Haith told reporters Tuesday that he did not face an unethical conduct charge. However, a source said Haith faced the less-serious failure to monitor allegation. That charge still carries the possibility of sanctions against the Mizzou coach. Yahoo! Sports reported in 2011 that Haith had knowledge of a $10,000 payment to the family of then-Miami recruit Daquan Jones. Haith has denied wrongdoing. […]

This explains the difference in a school being charged with lack of instititional control and failure to monitor: A failure-to-monitor violation, although serious, is a separate and distinct violation that is considered less significant than a lack of institutional control. Violations resulting from a failure-to-monitor violation are usually limited in scope and do not involve the widespread inadequacies in rules-compliance systems and functions that are often found in lack-of-institutional-control cases.

(I'll pause while you chuckle at the ample humor involved in the NCAA accusing someone of "failing to monitor.")

A "failure to monitor" charge could be accompanied a short suspension and/or recruiting limitations -- fewer phone calls, fewer home visits, etc. -- but probably won't be anything major. That leads Missouri to an interesting dilemma. Recall this Mike Alden quote from last night:

“Shoot, after 20 months, you know I think all of us are just pleased,” Alden said. “Good, let’s go ahead and deal with it and move forward. I’m looking forward to working with Frank for a long time. He’s done great things here with us, and we look forward to (him) continuing to do great things.”

If the penalties are minor, the temptation to accept them and move on would be great. At least, it would in most cases. "Most cases" aren't the preceding Miami investigation and all of the NCAA missteps it involved. I mean, come on:

"Many of the charges brought forth are based on the word of a man who made a fortune by lying," Shalala wrote. "The NCAA enforcement staff acknowledged to the University that if Nevin Shapiro, a convicted con man, said something more than once, it considered the allegation 'corroborated' -- an argument which is both ludicrous and counter to legal practice"

As fans, we are allowed to go straight into "Screw the NCAA" mode, encourage Mizzou and Haith to fight these charges tooth-and-nail. But Frank Haith, Mike Alden and company might decide it isn't worth the time or money. And they may be very wise in that decision-making. Picking a fight you might win could be fun, but moving on could be as well.

Regardless, it appears the show-cause penalty is not on the table, and Haith and Missouri might be able to actually move on from this episode at some point in the near (okay, nearish) future.