Bond Shymansky, fired earlier this week from his post as the University of Iowa volleyball coach, has issued an explanation for the “major” NCAA violation that landed him in trouble.
The Gazette reports that the statement, released through a Des Moines law firm, is intended to “shed light on the details and end any wild speculation.”
Shymansky was dismissed this week, after having been suspended on May 20 while the university conducted an investigation into an allegation of a serious NCAA violation.
Related: Iowa Fires Volleyball Coach for Impermissible Benefit
In the statement, Shymansky admits to providing financial assistance to a player “to cover a young woman’s unanticipated summer expenses in 2017.”
“She came to Iowa City expecting to be on full scholarship, but when that status changed, she had nowhere else to turn,” Shymansky says in the statement.
Shymansky acknowledged that he made a mistake, saying that he’s prepared to accept whatever punishment the NCAA deems appropriate. He also voiced support for Vicki Brown, who was named interim head coach of the program following Shymansky’s own firing.
“I know big things are in store for Coach Brown and the rest of the exceptional young women in our volleyball program,” he says.
