I read a story this weekend from Steve Walentik of the Columbia Daily Tribune about an arrest that took place at the Missouri men’s basketball team hotel the day of their NCAA tournament game in Omaha, NE. Levi Coolley had received game tickets and even traveled with the team on away games in the past and was among nine individuals arrested by the FBI for their alleged involvement in a cocaine ring in Columbia.
Coolley had traveled with the team on previous NCAA Tournament trips in 2009 and 2010, as well as joining the team on a flight back from Austin, TX in January. Coolley accompanied the team on flights as a guest of Jay Lindner, a major donor to the athletic department. The University of Missouri conducted an internal investigation to determine the depth of Coolley’s involvement with the basketball program and whether any laws or NCAA rules were broken.
Missouri’s Director of Athletics Mike Alden said there is no need for Missouri to make a major overhaul in the way they monitor their programs. “We feel pretty comfortable with our procedures.” Coolley spent 11 days in custody in Omaha after his arrest but was released and is waiting for the legal process to play out.
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