ESPN: Former NC State Head Coach Mark Gottfried Directly Linked to Payments

According to ESPN, “court filings in a federal criminal case involving college basketball corruption link former NC State coach Mark Gottfried to being the first head coach directly connected to impermissible payments to players.”

Apparently former Wolfpack Assistant Coach Orlando Early, whose name has already been drug through the mud in the Adidas court case, told his attorney that Gottfried gave him envelopes (that he assumed contained cash) to be given to Dennis Smith Jr.’s trainer, to ensure he signed with the Pack.

According to ESPN, these allegations against Gottfried were submitted in a sentencing memorandum on February 12th, but are redacted in the memo that was made publicly available.  Their source also shares that the statement that Early gave to his attorney was shared in the trial back in October, but weren’t introduced in the criminal trial.

How much did Early allegedly tell his attorney that Smith was paid?

“Early believes the number was in the ballpark of $100,000 or more,” the disclosure said. (ESPN)

According to the report, after delivering $40k given to him by Adidas, Early removed himself from the situation, and Gottfried assured him he would handle the money being distributed to the Smith family himself.

The official statement from NC State at this time regarding the allegations against Gottfried:

“If such information exists, it has not been shared with the university,” Demarest said. (ESPN)

Gottfried’s attorney, Scott Tompsett, released the following statement, making clear that this information goes directly against testimony under oath.

“The statement being reported on is false and conflicts with the sworn testimony of the government’s lead witness in the trial last fall,” Tompsett said in a statement provided to ESPN. “Specifically, at trial, T.J. Gassnola testified, under penalty of perjury, that he did not discuss the payment to Dennis Smith with anyone at N.C. State other than one assistant coach. Thus, the statement being reported on as it refers to Mr. Gottfried is not corroborated by a single shred of evidence and it conflicts with the sworn testimony of the government’s lead witness at the trial last fall.” (ESPN)