From the Associated Press :
The University of Connecticut’s coaches should be treated no differently than other state employees when it comes to enforcing the state’s ethics rules on gifts and outside work, the state Ethics Commission ruled Monday.
The decision ends a policy that allowed “celebrity” state employees to bypass rules governing the conduct of Connecticut state employees.
The decision will allow the coaches to keep their previously approved endorsement deals, but subjects future contracts to stricter ethical review.
The commission spent three months reviewing its treatment of “celebrity” employees at the request of Gov. M. Jodi Rell, following reports that UConn men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun and women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma were paid by Nike in part for providing their teams with Nike gear, in apparent conflict with state ethics laws.
Messages seeking comment were left Monday at UConn for both coaches. An attorney for Auriemma attended Monday’s meeting but declined to comment on the decision.
The commission’s staff determined there is no statutory or regulatory basis for treating celebrity state employees or public officials differently from other state employees and public officials.
If celeb state employees can no longer cash in, I suppose this will kill any chance the university had of wooing Dan Bunnybrain to take over the marching band.