During his tenure at Arizona State University, Clint Myers was told to distance his son, Corey Myers, from the softball program because of potential conflicts of interest, according to a document provided to The Plainsman by ASU.
In a memo dated Jan. 28, 2011, from then-ASU athletic director Lisa Love to Clint Myers, Love warned about Corey Myers, who was not affiliated with the softball program, coming on the field or using the program’s facilities in a personal or professional capacity.
“Your son, Corey, is welcome to attend athletic events that are open to the public on the same terms and conditions as are extended to general members of the public,” Love told Clint Myers in the letter. “He is not to come onto the field or into the facility areas that are open only to coaching staff, student-athletes and ASU athletics without the prior written permission of the sport supervisor.”
The letter was sent after the ASU Athletics Department reviewed the softball program and “a number of matters came to light regarding [Clint Myers’] leadership,” including his “style of interaction with ASU athletics administration and various interactions” between Corey Myers and the university.
Clint Myers was head coach of the Sun Devils 2006 to 2013.
Corey Myers founded the company Graphx LLC in April 2008. According to the letter, Clint Myers disclosed an interest in the company to ASU in June 2010. To avoid a conflict of interest, Love told Clint Myers to refrain from doing business with Graphx LLC in his capacity as softball head coach. Graphx LLC was dissolved by Corey Myers in 2012.
Love told Clint Myers not to allow CM Baseball & Softball Academy, a company also run by Corey Myers, to use the university’s athletic facilities. ASU had an agreement with Sun Devil Softball Camps LLC, owned by Clint Myers, to use athletics facilities at times.
Clint Myers was also told he could not bring Corey Myers on as an assistant or volunteer coach going forward. Corey Myers previously served as a temporary volunteer coach at ASU in 2007 and 2008.
“Corey may not serve in any paid or unpaid capacity in any role … with the women’s softball program,” Love said.
Love's letter pointed to ASU’s nepotism policy that doesn't allow employees to make hiring or employment decisions for direct relatives.
Though Clint Myers’ other son, Casey Myers, was serving as a volunteer coach at the time for the Sun Devils. Potential employees must go through an alternate administrator during the hiring process if they would be a subordinate of a relative per ASU policy.
Corey Myers joined his father’s coaching staff at Auburn when he took over the Tigers softball team in 2013 following eight years with ASU. Casey Myers was a volunteer coach at Auburn under his father.
The chance to work along both of his sons was reportedly a major draw in attracting Clint Myers to The Plains in 2013.
“This opportunity to coach with my family and to become part of what I feel is a total community family in the town of Auburn was one I absolutely could not pass up," Clint Myers said on June 14, 2013, months before either the hiring of either of his sons was officially announced.
Corey Myers was paid during his time with the Tigers, earning over $100,000 in 2016, his last full year with the University. That year the Tigers made it to the Women's College World Series Finals, where they lost the series 2–1 to Oklahoma.
Auburn's nepotism policy prohibits the employment of a person from the "'immediate family' of a University employee who would have a 'direct supervisory relationship' that may influence the 'terms and conditions of employment' with the corresponding relative." The policy does not lay out an alternate route for employment for relatives of University employees to be hired like ASU's.
The University did not respond to questions regarding the hiring process of Corey and Casey Myers.
According to ESPN, at one point in Arizona, Corey Myers allowed a student-athlete to temporarily live with his family. Though she doesn’t cite any specific instances in the memo, Love said department policy was being implemented the following July to prohibit student-athletes from living in property owned, leased or managed by any athletics employee or relative of an employee while retaining their eligibility.
A policy banning student-athletes from working for athletics employees or relatives of employees was also implemented. Student-athletes working for head coach-owned camps, like Clint Myers’, are exempt from the employment ban.
The Myers and Auburn’s softball program have become engulfed in a scandal since August, when shortly after Clint Myers’ retirement, ESPN reported that a former softball player had filed a Title IX complaint, claiming that Clint Myers “knowingly let his son Corey Myers have relations and pursue relations” with at least three different members of the team.
The University issued a statement in early September, saying that the matter was investigated internally and action was taken swiftly.
“As soon as the facts were known, action was taken,” the statement said. “The two coaches are no longer on our staff.”
Last month, Auburn Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs announced the hiring of Mickey Dean as Auburn's new softball head coach.
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