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March 7, 2007

Football

Club investigates allegations

Fledgling football team looks to sort financial claims after deBerry’s expulsion.

Story by: Joan Khalaf

The Shorthorn staff

Mavericks for Football Now president Sam deBerry was expelled from the Maverick Football Club team in a 19-5 vote by team members Thursday due to failure to cooperate with finances, said Katherine Miller, team chief executive officer.

Miller said deBerry was uncooperative in handing over financial records for the club team. The team and Mavericks for Football Now separated their once-combined accounts after deBerry’s Feb. 16 removal as head coach.

DeBerry will be eligible for a hearing Thursday. There, he will be able to account for missing receipts and address the team, Miller said.

“There was money being solicited on behalf of the club team,” she said. “But the checks for that money were written for Mavericks for Football Now.”

DeBerry could not be reached for comment.

The account is currently frozen pending investigation, said Frank Lamas, Student Affairs vice president. If a formal allegation is made, the Student Organization Advisory Committee will determine if the allegations are true and clarify a course of action.

Group treasurer Michael King said the accusations were based on false information from a marketing firm that helps the team raise money.

“The firm claimed they gave over five times as much money as they actually gave,” he said. “We’re in the process of getting that sorted out and becoming financially separate from the club team.”

The firm could not be reached for comment.

According to the ruling released by Campus Recreation on Feb. 22, deBerry’s interim suspension ends April 1. However, the club team voted for his expulsion after that date.

Finance senior Tri Nguyen, who recently quit the team, said the team caused him stress he didn’t have time to deal with.

“DeBerry was the heart and soul of the team,” he said. “They took that away from us, and a lot of players started getting into arguments. I was beginning to wonder where our future was and if we were going to play.”

History senior David Repp, who also quit, said he thought the team was losing it’s focus on bringing football back to the university.

“My grades were slipping, and for a third-stringer to lose grades is silly,” he said. “It wasn’t fun toward the end. There weren’t enough jerseys for everyone, and some players didn’t get one.”

Only 24 of the 54 team members were present for the vote to expel deBerry. Miller said financial discrepancies was not the only reason why players didn’t want deBerry back but would not specify what those reasons were.

“Our meeting was to let the team members know where their money went,” she said. “No official allegations have been made that deBerry has stolen money from the team.”

Honeycutt said there was no proof of any financial dishonesty.

“We have no intentions of claiming that something dishonest has happened,” he said. “We’re just trying to figure out how club money was spent.”

The top players
These three are involved in financial misconduct allegations.
Sam deBerryMavericks for Football Now president, former football club coach	Katherine Miller Mavericks for Football Now chief executive officer	Michael King, Mavericks for Football Now treasurer