UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo was indicted by the U.S. District Court for conspiracy to commit racketeering Tuesday and placed on leave, the school announced, after he was one of nearly 50 people reportedly involved in a widespread investigation of college admissions and testing bribery scheme.
Salcedo, an All-American and national champion as a player at UCLA who has been his alma mater’s head coach for the past 15 years, is alleged to have taken payments totaling $200,000 in exchange for helping admit one female and one male applicant to UCLA under the pretense they were soccer recruits when they did not play competitive soccer.
“The conduct alleged in the filings revealed today is deeply disturbing and in contrast with the expectations we have of our coaches to lead their teams with honesty and integrity,” UCLA and its athletic department said in a joint statement. “If the facts alleged are true, they represent a grave departure from the ethical standards we set for ourselves and the people who work here.”
The school added it was not aware of any current student-athletes who are under suspicion and that the university is cooperating with the Department of Justice while also conducting its own review.
The Department of Justice’s investigation involves William Rick Singer, who founded a college counseling and prep business in Newport Beach that took payments from parents to help their children gain admission to elite schools like UCLA, USC, Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, by cheating on college entrance exams or falsifying athletic records. The case involved prominent Hollywood actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman and several college coaches.
According to the court documents, which were unsealed Tuesday, Singer agreed with the parents of a UCLA applicant to use bribes to facilitate their daughter’s admission to UCLA as a soccer recruit in 2016. In April 2016, Singer emailed a falsified soccer profile for the female UCLA applicant to Ali Khosroshahin, a former USC women’s soccer coach, who then forwarded it to Salcedo on or about May 20. Later that month, Salcedo allegedly forwarded transcripts and standardized test scores to a UCLA women’s soccer coach, and the applicant was approved for “provisional student-athlete admission” on or about June 28, 2016.
Salcedo emailed Singer that the applicant had been provisionally admitted as a student-athlete, and Singer directed $100,000 to a sports marketing company Salcedo controlled on or about July 7, 2016.
Salcedo is also alleged to have taken a separate $100,000 payment on or about Oct. 24, 2018 for designating the son of another one of Singer’s clients as a recruit for the UCLA men’s soccer team. The student did not play competitive soccer, but was admitted to UCLA, after which Singer paid Khosroshahin $25,000 for facilitating the transaction.
Khosroshahin and former USC assistant women’s soccer coach Laura Janke allegedly received $350,000 for their private soccer club in exchange for designating four students as recruits. USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and 16-time national champion men’s and women’s water polo coach Jovan Vavic were also indicted.
The Bruins went to the NCAA tournament 14 times in Salcedo’s 15 years as head coach, including appearances in the national championship game in 2006 and 2014. UCLA finished 10-9 last season, losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Portland.
Salcedo was the second-longest tenured men’s soccer head coach in UCLA history.
He will not have any involvement with the soccer team while the matter is reviewed, UCLA’s statement said. Assistant coaches Matt Taylor and Phil Marfuggi will take over his duties.
