Tennessee State University has fired track coach Stanford Strong for using two athletes under fictitious names in a track meet.
The decision was handed down by interim AD Teresa Phillips.
"As soon as we found out what happened we took immediate and corrective action," Phillips told the "Nashville Tennessean" newspaper. "Right now we are reassessing the entire track program to see where we stand."
According to Phillips, the athletes in question were supposed to be held out of competition this season as redshirts. This means that an athlete can practice but not participate in competition and as a result does not use a year of intercollegiate eligibility.
Using redshirt athletes in competition is not against NCAA rules. They would have just lost their redshirt status for this season and accumulated a year of eligibility.
However using athletes under assumed names is a serious breach of NCAA rules, Phillips said.
"It's a violation and we notified the NCAA," said Phillips.
Both athletes, whose names were not released, were immediately declared ineligible by Tennessee State. The university then petitioned the NCAA to reinstate their eligibility, which was done, Phillips said.
Strong replaced Allen Robinson as track coach last summer after Robinson was relieved of his coaching duties by then-Athletic Director Vivian Fuller. Strong was working at TSU under a temporary contract.
Phillips believes that Strong's inexperience might have been a factor.
"He had never coached at the college level," said Phillips. "His inexperience has hurt him, the school and the track program."
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