The Arizona Board of Regents is meeting to get legal advice on the NCAA basketball fraud and corruption investigation that has rocked college sports and resulted in the indictment of four assistant basketball coaches, including one at the University of Arizona. 

The regents, who oversee Arizona’s state universities, will get a closed-door briefing Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning as part of their regularly scheduled meeting at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. 

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Men’s assistant basketball coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson was immediately suspended and relieved of all duties, UA officials said on Tuesday.

Richardson is alleged to have accepted $20,000 in bribes in exchange for pushing players to sign with particular agents when those players turned pro and needed representation.

He has been at the UA for the entire Sean Miller era, following Miller to Arizona after the two worked together at Xavier University from 2007 to 2009.

Other coaches snared in the federal investigation are Auburn’s Chuck Person, Southern California’s Tony Bland,  and Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans. Alleged bribes range from $15,000 to upwards of $100,000, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI, who conducted the investigation. 

Louisville confirmed Tuesday it also is under investigation. The school on Wednesday ‘effectively fired’ head coach Rick Pitino and placed athletic director Tom Jurich on administrative leave. 

Joon Kim, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Tuesday in a press briefing that reading the filing “you will find yourself in the dark underbelly of college athletics.” 

According to an FBI affidavit filed in the criminal case against Richardson, defendant Christian Dawkins, then a sports agent, explained during a recorded phone call why head coaches were not targeted for bribery.

“The head coach … ain’t willing to (take bribes) ‘cause they’re making too much money,” Dawkins said. “And it’s too risky.”

Miller earns $2.6 million a year; Richardson makes $235,000.

UA officials said they are cooperating with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and were “appalled” to learn of the allegations. 

“They do not reflect the standards we hold ourselves to and require from our colleagues. The University of Arizona has a strong culture of compliance and the expectation is we follow the rules,” university officials said in a statement.

Arizona Athletics said “the behavior that Richardson is accused of is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the principles of this athletics department.”

Richardson and his attorney, Brick Storts, did not return calls and emails seeking comment. 

The Arizona Athletics website credits Richardson with building and strengthening the school’s recruiting, including landing top 10 recruiting classes in each of the last seven years. 

MORE WILDCATS: What Book Richardson case means for Arizona basketball

MORE WILDCATS: How the FBI tracked and arrested Arizona assistant Book Richardson

Reporter Dennis Wagner and the USA Today Network contributed to this story. 

Reach the reporter at 602-444-8072 or [email protected].

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