On Aug. 16, Yahoo! Sports reported that Nevin Shapiro, a University of Miami booster, who had provided at least 72 athletes with gifts including travel, cash and prostitutes from 2002-2010. During 2002-2006 Larry Coker, UTSA’s head football coach, was head football coach at Miami.

After the story broke, Coker released a statement in which he declined to comment on the issue, stating that the NCAA had not contacted him, and he did not have any insight into the current investigation. UTSA Athletics Director Lynn Hickey stated her support for Coker.

“Coach Coker is a great person, a very ethical person with high values. I think the key to remember in this whole situation is that after five months of the investigation his name is not even on the list to talk to. We are very confident that he handled his business appropriately at Miami.”

The news of this story comes just as UTSA is prepares for its inaugural football game on Sept. 3.

Practices were held as usual last week and on Aug. 19, just three days after the Yahoo! Sports report, UTSA held its football media day.

During the media day Hickey had this to say about Miami, “Major college football at the level Miami was competing, as we have seen all year across the country, there are some things that need to be addressed and probably changed, but as far as any implications that there was any wrongdoing by Coker, we have not been informed of that at this time.”

The Paisano attempted to contact the NCAA, but calls were not returned.