Alabama Baseball Coach Fired Amid Sports Betting Probe

Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired Thursday, just three days after an ESPN report raised questions about “suspicious wagering activity” on Crimson Tide baseball games.

Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania previously halted bets on Alabama’s games, according to the outlet. And U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas-based firm that monitors the betting markets, issued alerted its clients to suspicious activity involving one specific college baseball game between Alabama and LSU on April 28.

The university announced Thursday that Bohannon was fired for “violating the standards, duties, and responsibilities expected of University employees.” The school could not provide further comment due to an ongoing investigation.

According to the ESPN report from earlier this week, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board shared that two specific bets, both of which were made in Cincinnati, Ohio, prompted the alert. One of them was a parlay that involved the Alabama-LSU game, and there was a large moneyline bet that also involved the Crimson Tide-Tigers contest.

While the details have yet to be confirmed amid the ongoing investigation, the firing of Bohannon comes after the NFL suspended a handful of players for gambling-related violations. Three of the five players who represented the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders are subject to indefinite bans. Current Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 campaign for betting on football games, as well.