ahem...Rob Oller

I admired Jim O'Brien when he coached at Boston College. Successful, down to earth and principled. His Eagles were a real class act. A pleasure to watch and support.

I was therefore surprised to learn that this morning Ohio State fired head coach Jim O'Brien, alleging the program committed NCAA violations under his watch.

Five years ago, Ohio State gave Aleksandar Radojevic, a Serbian recruit, several thousand dollars. At the time Radojevic's family was living abroad and, according to O'Brien, was in "dire financial straits."

Although Radojevic ended up elsewhere, Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger recently discovered the payment. While investigating the incident, Geiger asked O'Brien whether he knew the action violated NCAA rules. O'Brien admitted that he did.

As a result, Geiger today fired the coach who had led the Buckeyes to the Final Four in 1999 and two Big Ten regular-season co-championships in 2000 and 2002.

A sad story, I must say.

Which raises questions about a column sports reporter Rob Oller wrote for the Columbus Dispatch in May. At the time, McDonald's All-American Malik Hairston has just chosen Oregon over Ohio State and five other schools.

According to Oller (and Andy Katz), Hairston's decision may have been influenced by the private jet the Ducks employed (to the tune of $21,000) to fly the Detroit prospect out to Eugene for an official visit. Take it away, Rob:

That's the kind of quasi-ethical stuff that drives an oldschool coach like O'Brien nuts, which is why he has been loathe to play the recruiting game that centers on favors and perks. Come to school. Get an education. Play ball.

The alternative is repulsive to men of integrity -- with good reason. When Missouri bounced OSU from the 2002 NCAA Tournament, critics, including this one, questioned how the Tigers could recruit blue-chip talent but O'Brien couldn't, or wouldn't.

Fast forward to this week, when the NCAA determined that Missouri violated multiple rules between 1999 and 2003. The infractions included the alleged payment of players, impermissible contact with recruits and free meals to AAU coaches.

Give me character over shady characters every time.

If only it were that simple. Rob continues:

For O'Brien, missing out on Hairston has to reinforce the damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't nature of recruiting. Go after a big name but fail to land him and you're labeled a coach who can't recruit. Choose to refrain from playing the schmooze game and they say you won't recruit.

It's enough to make a coach go gray.

Or go wrong?

I'm inclined to feel bad for O'Brien. His transgression might have been one of compassion rather than competition. Radojevic comes from a war-torn part of Europe and neither you nor I know much about his family's condition. That being said, paying a recruit is a violation. Flying a recruit in for a visit is not.

Considerations of moral equivalence aside for a moment, O'Brien should understand Ohio State's decision and Oller should revise his heretofore angelic view of O'Brien.

As for me? One transgression does not a venerable coaching career ruin. I've put Jim O'Brien at the top of my list to succeed Steve Lappas at the University of Massachusetts this spring.