30 biggest college football scandals of all time
By Ethan Lee
Mike MacIntyre comes under scrutiny for handling of domestic violence allegations involving the assistant coach
Towards the end of a remarkable 2016 season for the Colorado Buffaloes, head coach Mike MacIntyre was informed by the former girlfriend of Joe Tumpkin, an assistant coach, that Tumpkin had allegedly been “repeatedly and violently” abusing her, according to a report by Sports Illustrated.
The woman reportedly spoke to MacIntyre for over 30 minutes on Dec. 9, 2016, detailing multiple events during which she was allegedly assaulted and abused.
But just days later, Tumpkin was promoted to defensive coordinator for Colorado’s bowl game, according to SB Nation. He was later suspended and asked to resign, but instead of immediately removing Tumpkin from the program or even placing him on a temporary leave, MacIntyre kept him around.
Per Sports Illustrated, following the phone call, MacIntyre informed Colorado’s athletic director, blocked the woman’s phone number, spoke with Tumpkin about the call, and provided Tumpkin with the information for CU’s “go-to defense attorney.”
Tumpkin was later fired in January 2017. He then turned himself into authorities and was ultimately sentenced to jail and probation. MacIntyre, meanwhile, was fined $100,000 for how he handled the allegations and later fired as the Colorado Buffaloes struggled on the field.