NCAA allows noncoaching staff members to participate in on-court activities
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Photo: John Rivera/Getty[/caption]
New Kentucky recruiting coordinator Jai Lucas has added yet another title to his job description for the 2020-21 season: on-court coach.
Today, the NCAA announced it would allow Division I men’s and women’s basketball programs to permit up to two basketball-specific noncoaching staff members to “engage in managerial duties during on-court activities (e.g., rebound, pass, assist with drills).”
According to the official rule, the noncoaching staff position must have existed as of September 7, 2020 - as Lucas’ position was - and “the institution has prohibited some or all student managers from attending practice or other countable athletically related activities due to the health and safety impact of COVID-19.”
“The noncoaching staff member(s) designated to perform such on-court managerial duties must be designated by the institution and kept on file in the athletics department,” the rule continues. “The basketball-specific noncoaching staff members are only permitted to perform these managerial duties until the conclusion of an institution’s 2020-21 playing season or when the institution permits all student managers to attend practice or other countable athletically related activities, whichever is earlier.”
With this rule, both Lucas and John Robic will be able to expand their roles on the staff and allow on-court instruction from six coaches with high-major Division I experience - John Calipari, Bruiser Flint, Joel Justus, Tony Barbee, Lucas, and Robic - at any given time.
This also extends to women’s basketball, as up to two basketball-specific noncoaching staff members will not only be permitted to engage in managerial duties during the 2020-21 playing season, but also serve as practice players. For institutions still utilizing student managers, those student managers may also serve as practice players during the 2020-21 playing season. In both instances, the practice player duties may be performed by basketball-specific noncoaching staff members and student managers until the conclusion of the institution’s 2020-21 playing season or when the institution permits practice players to attend practice, whichever is earlier.
Here are the specific guidelines approved by the NCAA academic and membership affairs staff:
1. With the reduction of many managers due to the health and safety impact of COVID-19, this waiver provides flexibility for designated noncoaching staff members to participate in on-court practice activities while performing managerial duties. Additionally, in women’s basketball only, this waiver provides similar flexibility for designated noncoaching staff members and managers to serve as practice players.
2. This waiver does not permit a noncoaching staff member and student managers performing practice player duties in women’s basketball to engage in on-court coaching activities;
3. This waiver provides flexibility for institutions to conduct on-court countable athletically related activities and practice activities with the typical number of staff to assist in on-court activities;
4. This waiver assists institutional efforts to limit the individuals in contact with basketball teams to those essential to supporting the programs; and
5. The waiver was requested and supported by the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Oversight Committees.
John Calipari and the UK basketball program are going to have elite talent on their hands in terms of players and coaches.
Photo: John Rivera/Getty[/caption]
New Kentucky recruiting coordinator Jai Lucas has added yet another title to his job description for the 2020-21 season: on-court coach.
Today, the NCAA announced it would allow Division I men’s and women’s basketball programs to permit up to two basketball-specific noncoaching staff members to “engage in managerial duties during on-court activities (e.g., rebound, pass, assist with drills).”
According to the official rule, the noncoaching staff position must have existed as of September 7, 2020 - as Lucas’ position was - and “the institution has prohibited some or all student managers from attending practice or other countable athletically related activities due to the health and safety impact of COVID-19.”
“The noncoaching staff member(s) designated to perform such on-court managerial duties must be designated by the institution and kept on file in the athletics department,” the rule continues. “The basketball-specific noncoaching staff members are only permitted to perform these managerial duties until the conclusion of an institution’s 2020-21 playing season or when the institution permits all student managers to attend practice or other countable athletically related activities, whichever is earlier.”
With this rule, both Lucas and John Robic will be able to expand their roles on the staff and allow on-court instruction from six coaches with high-major Division I experience - John Calipari, Bruiser Flint, Joel Justus, Tony Barbee, Lucas, and Robic - at any given time.
This also extends to women’s basketball, as up to two basketball-specific noncoaching staff members will not only be permitted to engage in managerial duties during the 2020-21 playing season, but also serve as practice players. For institutions still utilizing student managers, those student managers may also serve as practice players during the 2020-21 playing season. In both instances, the practice player duties may be performed by basketball-specific noncoaching staff members and student managers until the conclusion of the institution’s 2020-21 playing season or when the institution permits practice players to attend practice, whichever is earlier.
Here are the specific guidelines approved by the NCAA academic and membership affairs staff:
1. With the reduction of many managers due to the health and safety impact of COVID-19, this waiver provides flexibility for designated noncoaching staff members to participate in on-court practice activities while performing managerial duties. Additionally, in women’s basketball only, this waiver provides similar flexibility for designated noncoaching staff members and managers to serve as practice players.
2. This waiver does not permit a noncoaching staff member and student managers performing practice player duties in women’s basketball to engage in on-court coaching activities;
3. This waiver provides flexibility for institutions to conduct on-court countable athletically related activities and practice activities with the typical number of staff to assist in on-court activities;
4. This waiver assists institutional efforts to limit the individuals in contact with basketball teams to those essential to supporting the programs; and
5. The waiver was requested and supported by the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Oversight Committees.
John Calipari and the UK basketball program are going to have elite talent on their hands in terms of players and coaches.
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