Coach John Brannen placed on paid leave by Cincinnati amid investigation

John Brannen has been placed on paid leave by Cincinnati amid an investigation into the basketball program.

During one week in March, six Cincinnati basketball players announced their intention to transfer from the program. That prompted the school to conduct an investigation.

On Saturday, the school announced that Brannen was being placed on leave.

“University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced men’s basketball head coach John Brannen has been placed on paid administrative leave as of Saturday, April 3, 2021 pending the completion of a University review into the program.

“The University announced on March 26 it was reviewing allegations related to the program along with independent fact finders.”

None of the allegations has to do with NCAA-related issues, according to a report. None of the allegations reportedly is related to any sort of abuse.

Six players transferring is more than usual, but since the introduction of the transfer portal and expectation of penalty-free transfers, many programs see players transfer each year. Justin Williams took an in-depth look at some of the issues. It seems there is a variety of opinions and that in general, Brannen’s style was not working for a good number of players. Some players are sticking with the program and don’t have complaints. Some appear to have issues with the inconsistent practice schedules and minutes they were playing. It also sounds like the difficult circumstances over the season, due to COVID-19-related rules, exacerbated issues.

Brannen, 47, played two seasons at Marshall under Billy Donovan (Gregg Marshall was an assistant on the staff). He coached Northern Kentucky for four seasons before coaching Cincinnati, taking the Norse to the NCAA Tournament twice. Cincinnati went 20-10 in his first season and won the conference. The Bearcats were just 12-11 this season.

Cincinnati might be trying to see if it can find a way to fire Brannen with cause, which would allow the Bearcats to avoid paying a buyout to the coach.