The University of Alabama has fired baseball coach Brad Bohannon amid an investigation into suspicious betting activity on one of the team’s recent games. On Thursday, ESPN’s David Purdum reported that the person who placed the bets could be seen on surveillance video communicating with Bohannon.
Alabama’s best starting pitcher was scratched before the game
No wrongdoing has been confirmed yet, but U.S. Integrity, which monitors the sports betting market, noticed two unusual bets placed by the same customer at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Friday, April 28. The person placed both wagers on LSU to beat Alabama in that night’s game. As it turned out, Alabama’s best starting pitcher was scratched before the game because of back issues, replaced by a pitcher who hadn’t started a game in a month and a half.
LSU, the top-ranked team in Division I and the favorite in the game regardless, won 8-6.
U.S. Integrity notified the Ohio Casino Control Commission, which, in turn ordered all betting on Alabama baseball be halted. Pennsylvania, Indiana, and New Jersey have since followed suit.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board executive director Ronnie Johns told NOLA.com that one of the bets was “large.” Purdum noted that betting activity on college baseball games is typically very low and FanDuel, in fact, told him that it took zero bets on the Alabama-LSU game. Thus, large bets stand out.
The University of Alabama said that Bohannon was fired for “among other things, violating the standards, duties, and responsibilities expected of University employees.”