UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo has resigned following his indictment last week for allegedly taking payments totaling $200,000 as part of an extensive college admissions and testing bribery scheme.
The school confirmed to ESPN that Salcedo’s 15-year tenure as the Bruins head coach ended Thursday. Salcedo led UCLA — his alma mater — to six conference titles and to the NCAA tournament in 14 of his 15 seasons.
Salcedo was indicted as part of a sprawling Justice Department investigation that accuses William “Rick” Singer, a Newport Beach-based businessman, of using his college counseling and prep service to solicit money from parents to help their children gain admission into elite universities. Others indicted in the probe include Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.
Salcedo allegedly took a pair of $100,000 payments from Singer in exchange for helping admit one male and one female applicant to the school while pretending they were soccer recruits. Neither applicant played 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 last week. “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.”
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