North Carolina may be in hot water again.
After the NCAA turned a blind eye to an alleged academic scandal at the ACC school, a new problem has arisen.
Former star quarterback and chief fundraiser Matt Kupec resigned Sunday after an in-house investigation revealed school fundraiser Tami Hansbrough, the mother of former UNC star Tyler Hansbrough, has taken personal trip at the university’s expense, Chancellor Holden Thorp announced on Monday, The News & Observer reported.
Divorced from her two sons’ father, Tami Hansbrough has been placed on administrative leave from her $95,000 job. She was hired as an associate director of development at the UNC School of Dentistry in Dec. 2008 to serve as a fundraiser who specialized in large gifts. Tyler Hansbrough was a senior at the time; the Tar Heels’ basketball team won the national championship later that season.
Thorp said Kupec, the school’s vice chancellor for advancement, resigned Sunday night after Thorp informed Kupec a review of his travel with Tami Hansbrough revealed trips that weren’t university related. Thorp said they appear to have included destinations where her other son, Ben Hansbrough, then a star basketball player at Notre Dame, was playing.
This comes on the heels of an investigation of academic fraud with ties to athletics. Thorp, however, said he didn’t see this as related to athletics after meeting with North Carolina’s compliance office. He said that while she traveled to cities in which Tyler was playing during North Carolina’s title run, the trips were legitimate because she was raising money for the school, and fans that made the trips were likely donors.
“This is a difficult day,” Thorp said in a statement. “Matt has made significant contributions over the years, raising billions of dollars for the University. However, these are serious issues that require a thorough investigation.”