Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball

Former University of Cincinnati basketball coach John Brannen has agreed to a settlement with the school over his firing in April 2021.

Per The Athletic's Justin Williams, public records revealed the school agreed to pay Brannen $2.75 million as part of a settlement signed by both parties on Wednesday.

Cincinnati fired Brannen on April 9, 2021, one week after he was placed on administrative leave.

"The decision to move in a new direction comes after a thorough review of our program, which included conversations with student-athletes, coaches and staff, as well as with Coach Brannen," athletic director John Cunningham said in the statement announcing the decision.

Brannen's dismissal came after the school opened an investigation into allegations about the men's basketball team.

In a March 2021 report from Williams, the team "experienced a mass roster exodus" with six players entering the transfer portal following a "rift" with Brannen.

Williams noted at the time that seven players recruited by Brannen following his hiring in April 2019 had left the program, with four of the team's five high-school signees from the 2020 recruiting class leaving after less than one year with the Bearcats.

Brannen originally filed a lawsuit against the university in May 2021, but he withdrew the lawsuit and refiled it in state court five months later. The 48-year-old was seeking more than $5 million in buyout money, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

According to Williams, Brannen was fired with cause by Cincinnati. He would have been owed $5.25 million for being fired without cause, per the terms of his contract.

Brannen went 32-20 in two seasons at Cincinnati. Dayton head basketball coach Anthony Grant announced earlier this week Brannen will join the program as an analyst and senior special assistant.

Wes Miller was hired as Cincinnati's new head coach in April 2021. He went 18-15 in his first season with the program.

The University of Cincinnati has officially submitted an application to join the Big 12 conference, according to Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Shortly after, University of Central Florida followed suit. 

The Big 12 set up an internal expansion committee to explore a new round of realignment following the departure of Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference beginning no later than 2025. Cincinnati, currently a member of the American Athletic Conference, is the first school to officially seek entrance to the Big 12.

Per Williams: 

The Big 12 on Friday is expected to officially announce that UC and three other schools – fellow American Athletic Conference rivals Central Florida and Houston and current independent BYU – will join the conference.

UC President Neville Pinto was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Pinto made it a top priority to lead UC into a major conference after taking over as president in early 2017, and he's shown strong leadership on the issue ever since. 

For UC, all that remains uncertain now is when it will officially start play in the Big 12 and how much money is at stake.

If approved, the Bearcats and Knights would become the conference's first additions since West Virginia and TCU joined in 2012. 

Should the Big 12 approve Cincinnati, it'll be adding a football program that has earned at least nine wins in seven of its last 10 seasons, with bowl game victories over Vanderbilt (2011), Duke (2012), Virginia Tech (2018) and Boston College (2020).

The school's basketball program has also been a mainstay in the NCAA tournament, appearing in the field consecutively from 2011-2019, though it hasn't reached the Sweet Sixteen since 2012 or the Final Four since 1992. 

WIlliams noted the move to the Big 12 will also help the school construct additional athletics facilities, including an indoor practice area for the football program.

The school does already have assets worth touting as it readies for a jump to a Power Five conference.

Per Williams:

UC's top-notch facilities positioned it nicely to make the jump to the Big 12. Credit UC leaders for having the foresight to invest a total of $173 million into overhauling Nippert Stadium and Fifth Third Arena in recent years. Those facilities have the Bearcats ready to compete for Big 12 championships on Day 1 in the conference.

UC finished an $86 million expansion of Nippert Stadium in 2015, adding new suites, club seating and a larger press box. It expanded Nippert's capacity to 40,000 from 35,000. Nippert certainly isn't among the largest stadiums in college football, but the state-of-the-art amenities, upkeep and game-day atmosphere have made it one of the best.

UCF, meanwhile, boasts a surging football program that has won four conference titles since 2013, including undefeated seasons in 2017 and 2018.

How many other schools will attempt to join the Big 12 and how many are eventually accepted remains to be seen.

Former Cincinnati Bearcats head coach John Brannen filed a federal lawsuit against the university, athletic director John Cunningham and school president Neville Pinto, according to Justin Williams of The Athletic. 

Williams noted the move was expected following Brennan's ousting in April after just two seasons. 

The exact nature of the complaint was not immediately available.

Cunningham announced an internal investigation into the program following the entrance of six Bearcats players into the transfer portal at the end of the season. 

"The University has always put the welfare of its student-athletes first," Cunningham said in announcing the investigation. "We feel this is an essential step to ensure that all of our athletic programs meet the highest standards." 

When Cunningham announced Brannen's suspension April 3, he explained the athletic department spoke with "student-athletes, coaches and staff, as well as with Coach Brannen" before reaching a decision but would not go into any of the allegations, findings or details uncovered. 

Per Williams:

"Details of the allegations against Brannen, the scope of the external review and/or any prior internal investigations by the university remain unknown at this time, although sources saidthey believe the external review to be a multifaceted, layered examination encompassing Brannen’s two seasons as coach of the Bearcats."

The AD called the entire situation a "personnel matter." Brannen was eventually fired April 9.

Wes Miller was hired as Brannen's replacement on April 14.

Now, Brannen will have an opportunity to plead his case on the record in front of a federal judge. 

After Brannen was placed on suspension pending the outcome of the investigation, the coach retained attorney Tom Mars, who quickly cast doubt on Cunningham's ability to conduct a thorough examination of the program. 

“It’s been my experience that collegiate ADs are experts at mishandling internal investigations, and this case is no exception,” Mars told The Athletic in April. “I’m in possession of a document that John Cunningham hasn’t seen. I haven’t decided when to share it with UC’s outside lawyers. But whenever John Cunningham does see it, I expect he’ll have a change of heart about the direction he’s been going and his decision to place Coach Brannen on administrative leave."

An attorney for former Cincinnati men's basketball coach John Brannen denied Brannen bribed players not to come forward about compliance issues within the program.

"Coach Brannen paid $135 of his own money so one of his players could see a mental health professional during the pandemic," Tom Mars wrote Tuesday. "UC Athletics has no psychologist on staff, instead opting to outsource those services to a Kentucky clinical psychologist whose advertisements say that he sees patients about infertility, gender identity, amnesia and infidelity."

The Cincinnati Enquirer's Keith Jenkins obtained the termination letter Cincinnati Director of Athletics sent to Brannen on April 9. Cunningham said Brannen "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the men's basketball program with respect to rules, regulations and policies and have further jeopardized and/or disregarded the well-being, health and safety of student-athletes, despite written reprimand":

Moreover, you have made, attempted, arranged or otherwise made payment for special benefits for a student-athlete other than through approved channels; intimidated and/or attempted to intimidate students from raising proper compliance concerns; as you have previously been notified, running one or more practices without proper precautions for player health and safety and repeatedly violated time management plan policies; and not been forthcoming with the University regarding your actions.

Cincinnati moved on from Brannen on April 9 following an investigation during which administrators spoke with players, coaches and staffers. The school had placed him on administrative leave, a step that came after six Bearcats players entered the transfer portal.

According to Jenkins, Brannen was also reprimanded last November after staging a practice that wasn't pre-approved by the team's training staff. The workout reportedly was so intense that one player required help to leave the court.

In a statement to the Enquirer, Mars countered that Brannen's firing was the culmination of "a pre-determined plan" to oust him without being on the hook for his $5 million buyout.

Brannen spent two years in charge at Cincinnati, with the Bearcats going 32-21. The university hired Wes Miller as his replacement on April 14.

UNC Greensboro coach Wes Miller will take over as the head coach of the men's basketball program at Cincinnati, the school announced Wednesday.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported the news earlier in the day. 

He will take over for head coach John Brannen, who was fired last Friday following an investigation that occurred when six players transferred away from the program in March. 

Of the six players who entered the transfer portal, four of them were freshmen in 2020. 

Justin Williams of The Athletic said the mass exodus in the program was "tied to a rift between those players and [Brannen]," and Matt Norlander of CBS Sports said Brannen and Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham hadn't "been on speaking terms for weeks." 

Brannen's tenure in Cincinnati was brief—he took over in April 2019 following Mick Cronin's hire at UCLA. Through two seasons, Brannen amassed a 32-21 record with an AAC regular-season title in 2019-20. 

Miller, on the other hand, was installed at UNCG 10 seasons ago, posting a 185-135 record. He is fresh off of his second NCAA tournament appearance in three seasons, as the No. 13 Spartans fell in the opening round to Florida State.

According to Norlander, the 38-year-old was also a finalist for the opening at North Carolina, where he played from 2004-07. 

Miller will inherit a program that went 12-11 over the past year. 

Cincinnati interviewed former Bearcats star Nick Van Exel as part of its search for a new men's basketball coach, according to Keith Jenkins of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The school fired John Brannen on Friday after placing him on administrative leave while it looked into why six players entered the transfer portal shortly after the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.

Van Exel spent two seasons at Cincinnati before embarking on a 13-year NBA career. In retirement, the 1997-98 All-Star began building his coaching resume.

Having worked as a player development instructor for the Atlanta Hawks, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks' staff for the 2013-14 season and then moved on to the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. He was the Legends head coach in 2015-16 when they finished 23-27.

Van Exel's most recent gig saw him work as an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies for three seasons.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in April 2019 the 49-year-old was interested in succeeding Mick Cronin as Cincinnati's head coach, with the Bearcats opting instead for Brannen.

Because of his experience as a player with the program, Cincinnati probably wouldn't have to sell the fanbase on Van Exel too much. However, Jenkins reported the university also interviewed Erik Martin, an assistant coach at West Virginia who was also college teammates with Van Exel.

According to Jenkins, UCLA associate head coach Darren Savino could be in the mix as well but reportedly has yet to formally interview. While Savino didn't suit up for the Bearcats, he was the team's associate head coach for nine years under Cronin.

A Kentucky native who also coached at Northern Kentucky, Brannen knew the region but didn't have firm ties to Cincinnati prior to leading the Bearcats. It appears school administrators want to stay within the family in identifying his replacement. 

The University of Cincinnati has parted ways with men's head basketball coach John Brannen, the school announced Friday.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and College Hoops Today first reported that Cincinnati was expected to part ways with Brannen. Justin Williams of The Athletic confirmed the move. 

Brannen was placed on administrative leave by the school on April 3 pending an investigation after six players transferred last month. 

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports noted Brannen and Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham "haven't been on speaking terms for weeks" and a parting of ways was "an inevitability."

Per Justin Williams of The Athletic, the recent spate of transfers is "tied to a rift between those players and coach John Brannen."

Williams noted some of the rift between the players and Brannen was related to navigating the 2020-21 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There were also "personality clashes and the culture within the program" that "exacerbated the mental strain for some."

Within a three-day period last month, Mason Madsen, Tari Eason, Mike Saunders Jr., Gabe Madsen, Zach Harvey and Mamoudou Diarra all announced they had entered the transfer portal. 

Brannen was hired by the Bearcats in April 2019 after Mick Cronin left the program to become head coach at UCLA. The 47-year-old went 32-21 with Cincinnati over the past two seasons, winning an AAC regular-season title in 2019-20. 

The University of Cincinnati has reportedly suspended head men's basketball coach John Brannen amid an external review of the program.

According to Justin Williams of The Athletic on Saturday, the suspension will last until the review is over, and it is believed the review is exploring whether Brannen should be fired for cause.

Last week, the University of Cincinnati released a statement saying it would "commence a review of allegations related to its men's basketball program."

Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham added: "The University has always put the welfare of its student-athletes first. We feel this is an essential step to ensure that all of our athletic programs meet the highest standards."

Williams reported in mid-March there was a rift between Brannen and his players, which led to a "mass roster exodus" after the Bearcats' 2020-21 season ended. Six players have entered the transfer portal since the end of the season, and a total of seven players recruited by Brannen since 2019 have left the program.

It is unclear precisely what the outside firm is investigating, but Jeremy Rauch of Fox19 in Cincinnati reported Brannen and his staff have not violated any NCAA rules.

Brannen, who was the head coach at Northern Kentucky from 2015 to 2019 and led the Norse to a pair of NCAA tournaments, took the head job at Cincinnati in 2019 when Mick Cronin left to coach at UCLA.

The Bearcats made nine consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament under Cronin before Brannen took over in 2019 and led Cincy to a 20-10 record. No NCAA tournament was held that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cincinnati went just 12-11 this season and missed the tourney, but Brannen led it all the way to the AAC Championship Game where it lost to Houston, which has subsequently reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

In the wake of the season, players have taken their issues with Brannen "directly to Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham in recent days and weeks," per Williams.

Williams reported there is no timetable to complete the investigation and decide Brannen's fate.

The University of Cincinnati announced Friday that it will conduct an internal investigation into allegations made against the men's basketball program, according to Justin Williams of The Athletic. 

Per Williams, Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham said: "The University has always put the welfare of its student-athletes first. We feel this is an essential step to ensure that all of our athletic programs meet the highest standards."

The university noted that it is using "independent fact finders" to conduct the investigation.

The investigation comes after Williams reported a "rift" had developed between players and head coach John Brannen which resulted in a "mass roster exodus" as six players entered the transfer portal in the days following the team's loss to Houston in the AAC tournament title game. Seven players Brannen has recruited since 2019 have left the program, and just two of seven players who joined the team ahead of the 2020-21 season remain, per Williams.

The University of Cincinnati did not specify what allegations were made against the program or when they were made.

While the nature of the allegations being investigated is unclear, Williams reported that some players took "their concerns directly to Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham in recent days and weeks."

Cincy is coming off a 12-11 record in its second season under head coach John Brannen. Despite the Bearcats' poor record, they fell just one win short of the NCAA tournament.

Cincinnati went 20-10 in Brannen's first season, but there was no NCAA tournament held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under previous head coach Mick Cronin, who is currently coaching UCLA in the NCAA tournament, the Bearcats reached the NCAA tournament in nine straight seasons from 2010-11 through 2018-19.

With Cronin at the helm, the Bearcats won two AAC regular-season titles and two AAC conference tournament titles, and they also reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament once.