By Aaron Suttles and Ben Jones
University of Alabama head baseball coach Greg Goff has been relieved of his duties, The Tuscaloosa News has learned.
The Tuscaloosa News previously reported that Goff attempted to reduce or revoke scholarships for up to 10 players in violation of NCAA rules during their exit interviews earlier this week.
Players who are still on campus were called to a 1 p.m. meeting to receive the news. UA athletic officials met with Goff on Wednesday and were in meetings throughout the morning to discuss the decision.
UA athletic officials also reached out to some players and their families to advise them to wait before making decisions on whether to transfer.
Pitching coach Terry Rooney is expected to be named interim head coach, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. He was previously head coach at Central Florida from 2009-16.
Goff signed a five-year deal worth $450,000 per year on June 17 after being hired last summer. It ran through the 2021 season.
Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne said in a brief statement to The Tuscaloosa News on Tuesday night that the school would abide by NCAA rules.
“As with any situation, the University of Alabama will follow NCAA guidelines. We are not revoking scholarships,” the statement read in full.
In January 2015, NCAA schools voted to approve legislation requiring Power 5 conference schools, including Alabama and other SEC schools, to renew scholarships annually. Previously, most scholarships were subject to annual renewal. Schools outside the Power 5 such as Louisiana Tech, Goff’s previous stop, are not required to renew scholarships annually.
The baseball program went 19-34-1 in his first year, including 5-24-1 in SEC play. It was the fewest wins by the program since 1980 and its worst SEC record since 1994.
The last time Alabama had a baseball coach who only led the program for one season was 1943, when Paul Burnham coached the team. UA did not field a baseball team in 1944 and 1945. The last time Alabama had three different head coaches in three consecutive seasons was 1927-1929.
