Former University of Cincinnati men's basketball coach John Brannen on Tuesday provided clarification on UC Director of Athletics John Cunningham's claim that Brannen "made, attempted, arranged or otherwise made payment for special benefits for a student-athlete other than through approved channels."
Brannen's attorney, Tom Mars, said in a statement that Brannen, who was fired April 9 after only two seasons at Cincinnati, paid $135 so that an unnamed player could receive mental health care.
Mars refuted the claim by RedditCFB on Twitter that Brannen "bribed players not to raise compliance concerns."
"Coach Brannen paid $135 of his own money so one of his players could see a mental health professional during the pandemic," Mars said.