Alabama Fires Baseball Coach After Reports of Suspicious Betting on Team’s Game

Alabama fired its head baseball coach, Brad Bohannon, on Thursday, days after unusual bets were detected on a game involving the team.

The university said Thursday that Bohannon had been fired for “among other things, violating the standards, duties and responsibilities expected of university employees.” It did not provide specifics about those alleged violations.

It added that “there will be no further comment at this time pending an ongoing review.”

Bohannon did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Bohannon was in his sixth season at Alabama, and had one N.C.A.A. tournament appearance, in 2021. This season the team was 30-15 with a 9-12 record in the Southeastern Conference going into Thursday night.

U.S. Integrity, a company that looks for unusual betting patterns, reported such activity on a game Friday night between Alabama and Louisiana State. The N.C.A.A. said it would look into the report.

Two large bets placed at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati were viewed as suspicious, NOLA.com and ESPN reported. The bets were on L.S.U. to win the game, the chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board said.

L.S.U., the No. 1 team in the country, was a comfortable favorite in the game and won, 8-6. The scheduled Alabama starter, Luke Holman, was scratched shortly before the game with back tightness and replaced by Hagan Banks, who had not started since March 16. Banks allowed four runs in his three innings.

Holman is the team’s ace: As of Thursday, he has a 5-2 record from nine starts and a 3.15 E.R.A.

In the sixth inning, with L.S.U. ahead, 4-1, Alabama hit a batter with the bases loaded and walked the next two hitters to give L.S.U. a 7-1 lead. Alabama rallied for four runs in the ninth to narrow the final margin.

At least two states, Ohio and New Jersey, halted all wagering on Alabama baseball as a result of the report of unusual betting.

In a statement on Thursday, Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, said Alabama had “taken swift action after baseball sports wagering activity was questioned by industry regulators.”

“There must be zero tolerance for activity that puts into question the integrity of competition,” Sankey said. The SEC has had a monitoring arrangement with U.S. Integrity since 2018.

Bohannon will be replaced on an interim basis by a pitching coach, Jason Jackson.

Bohannon, Jackson and an athletic trainer were sued in April by a former player for their handling of an injury he sustained. The suit accuses them of negligence. A judge in Tuscaloosa County will take up a motion to dismiss the case next month.

Alan Blinder contributed reporting and Alain Delaquérière contributed research.