The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) said on March 21 that a soccer coach who allegedly took $200,000 in relation to the massive admissions bribery scandal resigned.
Men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo, 46, allegedly took two payments of $100,000 from William Rick Singer to help one male and one female applicant to get into UCLA as athletes, ESPN reported Friday. Both the applicants did not play soccer, however.
Singer reportedly helped parents get their children into elite colleges like Stanford University, the University of Southern California and Georgetown by cheating the college entrance exam system, Fox News reported. He ran the charity, Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), which was used to facilitate the bribes.
At least 50 people were allegedly involved in the bribery scandal, including “Full House” star Lori Loughlin and “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman.
Salcedo served as the lead coach for 15 years, making him the second longest tenured in UCLA’s soccer program for men. His leadership took UCLA to six conference titles and the NCAA tournament for 14 seasons, according to ESPN.
The former men’s soccer coach was put on leave March 12, CBS LA reported. Salcedo is set to make his first appearance in a Boston federal court Monday.
Salcedo played for UCLA in the 1990s and played Major League Soccer for five years, according to ESPN.
The women’s soccer team at the school has also been under scrutiny after student Lauren Isackson’s parents used bribes to get her on the team. Isackson had no prior experience playing soccer. Head UCLA women’s soccer coach Amanda Cromwell was not charged, CBS LA reported.
Isackson was taken off the team, but remains at the school.
“If UCLA discovers that any prospective, admitted or enrolled student has misrepresented any aspect of his/her application…UCLA may take a number of disciplinary actions, up to and including cancellation of admission,” UCLA said in a statement, according to CBS LA.
