Cohane Steps Down at Buffalo

Buffalo Coach Tim Cohane resigned amid an investigation of the program. Cohane, in his seventh season at Buffalo, had an 80-93 record.

One part of the investigation involved tryouts of prospective recruits in the university’s Alumni Arena by Cohane and his staff, a violation of NCAA rules, the Buffalo News reported. Assistants Frank Valenti and Jasper Walker were reassigned to other positions outside the university’s athletic department.

Erie (N.Y.) Community College Coach Reggie Witherspoon was named interim head coach. In his first game, Buffalo plays host to No. 2-ranked North Carolina.

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Ron Felling, an assistant to Indiana Coach Bob Knight for 14 years, is leaving the program to pursue other interests. Felling joined Knight’s staff in 1985 after coaching Lawrenceville to four Illinois Class A state championships. In 1997, he moved from assistant coach to Knight’s administrative assistant. NCAA rules allowed him to work with the program, but recruiting and on-court coaching are not permitted. . . . The assault trial of North Carolina players Ed Cota and Terrence Newby has been postponed until next month to allow lawyers to schedule witnesses to testify. The players, both seniors, were initially scheduled to appear Monday, but the trial was rescheduled for Jan. 19. Cota and Newby were charged with three counts each of assault inflicting serious injury and two counts each of simple assault after a brawl on the University of North Carolina campus Halloween night.