UT Austin Tennis Coach Ensnared In College Cheating Scheme

AUSTIN, TEXAS — The men's tennis coach at the University of Texas at Austin is among those ensnared in a massive college bribery and admission scandal involving a number of high-profile people and celebrities, according to media reports on Tuesday.

According to a criminal complaint, Michael Center was paid $100,000 in 2015 to recruit a California student who did not even play tennis, effectively securing his admission to UT. Center has coached tennis at the university for 18 seasons.

According to reports, federal authorities have zeroed in on William Singer, who operates a California-based admissions consulting firm, as being at the center of a $25-million scheme in which wealthy clients paid him to rig standardized test scores or recruit students with falsified athletic records. Andrew Lelling, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said at a press conference on Tuesday that Singer ensured admission for students to Yale, Georgetown, Stanford, the University of Southern California, UCLA, Wake Forest and UT Austin "...not on their merits, but through fraud."

Related story:'Operation Varsity Blues': College Cheating Scheme Names Dozens

According to the complaint referenced in a KUT report, Michael Fox, a Houston man who was also indicted for conspiracy to commit racketeering, emailed Center in November 2014 to explore the possibility of falsely recruiting the student. Center responded "I read his application and researched his high school ... [l]ooks like he goes to very high-end school."

The complaint alleges Center was paid in installments arranged by Fox. Singer, who pleaded guilty today to a handful of felonies and is cooperating with the FBI's investigation, allegedly met with Center in 2015 and gave him $60,000 in cash in a parking lot.

In a statement, UT Austin officials said Center has been placed on administrative leave after the school was notified of the complaint: "We have just become aware of charges against our Men’s Tennis Coach Michael Center and he will be placed on administrative leave until further notice while we gather information," UT said. "We are cooperating fully with the investigation. Integrity in admissions is vital to the academic and ethical standards of our university."

Center led the Longhorns to NCAA Championship appearances each season of his long tenure, including three in the Final Four. In 2007, he was named College Coach of the Year by the U.S. Professional Tennis Association.

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