Northeastern has suspended coach Greg Cronin and assistant coach Albie O’Connell indefinitely amid an investigation into potential NCAA violations.
The school is looking into the possibility that Huskies coaches violated telephone and text message rules in recruiting, issues that were discovered during routine internal compliance monitoring, the school announced Friday.
Assistant coach Sebastien Laplante will lead the team, the school said. The Huskies play a home-and-home series against No. 1 Boston College this weekend.
“We are taking this action now to reinforce a culture of integrity within our department,” Northeastern athletic director Peter Roby said. “We are committed to operating an athletics program that is reflective of the values of the university we represent. It is imperative that we conduct our activities in full accordance with NCAA and conference rules. We are dedicated to that effort, and we are taking all appropriate steps to ensure that is the case.”
The university said it is working with its all-sport conference, the Colonial Athletic Association, in the investigation.
UPDATE, Feb. 19: Northeastern is on probation with the NCAA through April 23 stemming from recruiting violations by the school’s men’s basketball team. That punishment was handed down in 2009, although it is unclear how or if it will impact the hockey investigation.
