A day after his indictment in a wide-ranging college admissions scandal, longtime UT Austin tennis coach Michael Center has been fired.
Center, who faces two felony charges for allegedly receiving nearly $100,000 to recruit a student with falsified athletic credentials, was placed on administrative leave yesterday.
In a statement announcing the decision, UT Austin President Greg Fenves said the school will launch an internal investigation into Center's alleged 2015 fraud, but emphasized, as the university did yesterday, that the accusations around Center were isolated.
"We take the criminal allegations against Michael Center very seriously and, as of today, he has been terminated as a UT employee," Fenves said in a statement.
Center had coached the Longhorns' men's tennis team for 18 seasons, securing as many appearances in the NCAA Championship during his tenure. UT said Associate Head Coach Bruce Berque would serve as interim head coach.
FBI agents arrested Center at his home yesterday morning. He was charged with one count of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and released on personal recognizance.
Center is due in federal court in Boston later this month.
