NJCAA officials are offering a lighter sentence to Allen Community College head coach Vince DeGrado after learning of the dismissal of charges by Texas courts.
According to a document obtained by the Register, the NJCAA decided Friday to revise their ruling on sanctions handed down to DeGrado after being informed that Lubbock County courts dismissed DeGrados Class A misdemeanor assault charge on Sept. 14.
In a letter addressed to ACC President John Masterson, NJCAA Chief Executive Officer Christopher Parker stated that DeGrados suspension would be reduced from through the 2019-2020 season to through the 2019 indoor track and field season.
Under these new sanctions, DeGrado is still barred from attending cross country or indoor track and field meets this season if another NJCAA team is competing but, once the upcoming outdoor track and field season starts, he will be allowed to be in attendance at meets once again.
After being reinstated, DeGrado will have a probationary period that will last through the 2019-2020 academic year during which the NJCAA will have zero tolerance for any behavioral issues or violations of NJCAA bylaws and sportsmanship.
ACC will have the opportunity to appeal these revised sanctions but have until this Friday to start the process with the NJCAA. Allen appealed the original sanctions earlier this year but decided to refuse arbitration back in May after the NJCAA denied the appeal.
The orignal charges stemmed from a March 3 incident at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Lubbock where DeGrado responded to continued taunts directed at his players by a opposing assistant coach by shoving the assistant to the ground twice.
The incident led to DeGrados arrest at the meet later that day. Courts dismissed the case before it went to trial on the grounds that justice could not be served through further proceedings in this matter.
The Register will have more on this story later this week.
