ECU suspends coach Godwin

Godwin

ECU

GREENVILLE, N.C. — East Carolina has suspended baseball coach Billy Godwin two weeks without pay for an NCAA violation regarding improper housing benefits for volunteer coaches.

Assistant Nick Schnabel will handle Godwin’s administrative, coaching and recruiting duties during the suspension, which starts Feb. 1. The school issued a letter of reprimand and suspended the volunteer position for a year, retroactive to Oct. 17.

The school investigated for five months and found four volunteer coaches received courtesy apartments between the fall of 2004 and 2011, starting a year before Godwin’s arrival.

Three coaches have repaid benefits. In a statement, Godwin said he “assumed it was a permissible way to perhaps mitigate the financial burden” on volunteer coaches.

East Carolina reported the violation and is awaiting an NCAA ruling whether there will be further sanctions.