Cincinnati Baseball Coach Resigns Amid Gambling Investigation

Cincinnati baseball coach Scott Goggins has resigned after six seasons in the position, the school announced Wednesday. His decision comes as the program is under investigation by the NCAA into possible violations stemming from a gambling scandal involving the Bearcats and the Alabama baseball program.

At the center of the investigation is Bert Eugene Neff Jr., an Indiana resident who drew attention from an Ohio sportsbook after placing suspicious wagers on an Alabama-LSU baseball game on April 28. Sportsbook surveillance discovered that Neff was in communication with Alabama coach Brad Bohannon at the time he placed his bets. Bohannon was fired from his position earlier this month.

Neff is the father of Cincinnati sophomore pitcher Andrew Neff. The Bearcats fired two staffers on May 17—assistant Kyle Sprague and operations director Andy Nagle—for having knowledge of Neff’s gambling activity and failing to report it to school administrators. It’s unknown whether or not Neff bet on Cincinnati games

“I want to thank Coach Googins for his time and commitment to the Bearcats,” Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham. wrote in a statement “We have begun a national search for a new head coach, and we are excited about the future of Cincinnati baseball.”

Alabama and Cincinnati are not alone in facing scrutiny for gambling activity, as Iowa and Iowa State suspended a combined 41 athletes following an investigation into sports wagering.

Cincinnati finished the season with a 24–33. In his six seasons, Goggins led the Bearcats to one NCAA tournament berth in 2019, the program’s first postseason appearance in 45 years.