UT-Austin Men's Tennis Coach Fired Amid Scandal

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Michael Center — the head of men's tennis at the University of Texas at Austin for the past 18 seasons — has been dismissed from the school amid a growing college admissions scandal, according to a report.

Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte on Wednesday told Texassports.com that Center was let go. The dismissal comes on the heels of a criminal complaint accusing Center of receiving a $100,000 payment in exchange for recruiting a student to UT-Austin who didn't even play tennis. The investigation centers on William Singer, who operates a California-based admissions consulting firm, as the ringleader of a $25 million scheme in which wealthy clients paid him to rig standardized tests scores or recruit students with falsified athletic records, according to the complaint.

The case has grown in prominence given that two celebrities — actresses Lori Loughlin of "Full House" fame and Felicity Huffman" from "Desperate Housewives" — are among dozens of parents facing federal charges for having participated in the scheme in securing shortcuts for their own children as they entered college.

Related stories:

UT Austin Tennis Coach Ensnared In College Cheating Scheme

Class-Action Suit Alleges 'Rigged' Admissions At Elite Schools

At UT-Austin, according to the report, Associate Head Coach Bruce Berque will serve as the Longhorns' interim head coach. All other members of the UT Men's Tennis staff are expected to remain in place as well, the report added.

""After working with campus leaders to review the recent situation with Michael Center, we have decided to relieve him of his duties as our Men's Tennis coach," Del Conte told Texassports.com. "It's a very difficult decision, and we are grateful for the years of service that he has provided, but winning with integrity will always be paramount at The University of Texas, and it was a decision that had to be made."

Del Conte praised the remaining staff with the manner in which they have endured despite the controversy surrounding the university's men's tennis program: "I've met with our team and assured them that we will do everything in our power to support them," he told the outlet. "I also plan to reach out to all of our commitments, signees and their families immediately. I'm grateful for Coach Berque's leadership during this challenging time. Our team is in the middle of a tremendous season, and I applaud them for how they've handled this situation, especially the way they responded in their match on Tuesday."

Berque is in his fifth season at Texas and his fourth season as associate head coach, the sports news site reported. He was instrumental in helping lead the Longhorns to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 and the NCAA round of 16 in 2016 and 2018.

In related news, UT-Austin is now named in a class action suit related to the ongoing college admissions cheating scandal. Two women are suing eight elite universities, including UT, alleging the schools have a “rigged” admissions process that allowed unqualified students to be accepted ahead of worthy, admissions-fees-paying candidates, the Austin American-Statesman and other media outlets reported. The lawsuit that was filed Wednesday in federal court in California is seeking class-action status.

>>> Read the full story at Texassports.com

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