Morgan's Bozeman: Show-cause 'had a great effect on my life'

Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman had to wait 10 years before landing another head coaching opportunity after receiving an eight-year show-cause sanction from the NCAA for paying a recruit's family as head coach of the University of California.  Former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl received a three-year show-cause from the NCAA last week.

Baltimore, MD - In the spring of 2006, Todd Bozeman escaped the purgatory of the NCAA’s show-cause sanction. For 10 years, the prodigy-turned-castaway languished like a ghost ship. He was little more than a bar stool trivia question.

“Who was the coach of California when Jason Kidd led the team to a win over Duke in the ‘93 NCAA tournament?”

Bozeman was reborn five years ago when a little-known historically black college in northeast Baltimore tabbed him as its head coach. Morgan State University, a MEAC school with no discernible basketball history, took a flier on a washed-up cheater who sunk his own career before turning 35. That, at least, was the perception back then.

All these years later, Bozeman is still a trivia question, of sorts.

“Who is the only head coach in Division I basketball history to receive a show-cause penalty and ultimately land another head coaching gig?”

Hint: it’s not Clem Haskins or Kelvin Sampson or Dave Bliss. The answer is, indeed, Todd Bozeman.

Now, the entire state of Tennessee - and the college basketball world as a whole – wonder if ...

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