The father of a University of Cincinnati baseball player, Bert Eugene Neff, placed the wagers that triggered the dismissal of former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon, as well as the dismissals of two Cincinnati staffers, The Tuscaloosa News has confirmed.
Bohannon was fired May 4, less than a week after an investigation revealed that Bohannon was on the phone with Neff as he was placing large wagers on Alabama to lose to LSU on April 28, at the Great American Ballpark sportsbook in Cincinnati. Alabama’s top pitcher, Luke Holman, was later scratched from a starting assignment, reportedly due to a back issue, and the Tigers won the game, 8-6. Asked Wednesday about how he felt prior to the start, Holman said his back was indeed bothering him that night. Nevertheless, Alabama relieved Bohannon of his coaching duties on May 4, and has moved to fire him for cause.
The bettor’s identity was first reported by Sports Illustrated, which also cited sources claiming that gambling regulators also flagged suspicious wagering on the game in Neff’s home state of Indiana.
Along with the Alabama and Cincinnati cases, the NCAA will also investigate potential gambling violations at Iowa and Iowa State, where a combined 41 athletes have been suspended.
Also fired following Neff’s wager against Alabama are Cincinnati assistant coach Kyle Sprague and another staffer, Andy Nagle, for knowledge of Neff’s gambling activity, per Sports Illustrated. Neff’s son, Andy, plays at UC.
Alabama has turned its season around under interim coach Jason Jackson, having won 10 of its first 13 games under Jackson.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23 and the Talkin’ Tide podcast. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread. Reach Nick Kelly at nkelly@gannett.com.
