John Koenig, University of New Mexico athletic...

John Koenig, University of New Mexico athletic director, resigned after telling school president Gerald May that he had inappropriately accepted money for travel and entertainment expenses.

“John has acknowledged that he inadvertently received inappropriate reimbursements and has offered to repay them,” May said at a news conference.

May did not specify how much money Koenig had agreed to repay the university, and said that an audit of Koenig’s financial records had not been completed.

Last week, the Albuquerque Tribune reported five alleged instances of double payments to Koenig. The newspaper said it discovered the apparent double-charging while examining Koenig’s credit card statements and receipts, travel vouchers and reimbursement payments.

On Friday, the newspaper reported three additional instances of possible double reimbursement for costs incurred on trips Koenig took in April and May to Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and California.

Koenig’s resignation came three weeks after officials at the University of Illinois confirmed that Koenig had received $11,000 in unauthorized reimbursements while he was an assistant athletic director at the Big Ten school. Koenig repaid that money following an internal audit by university officials.

Koenig left Illinois in the spring of 1987 to replace John Bridgers, who retired, at New Mexico.

May announced that Gary Ness, an associate professor at New Mexico, would serve as interim athletic director while the search for a permanent successor to Koenig is made.