Brigham Young, the 2006 national finalist, has been suspended from competition in Utah following last Saturday’s match against Air Force.
The disciplinary move stems from alleged misconduct by Cougar head coach David Smyth, according to people familiar with the matter. Also on Saturday, a BYU player was dismissed soon after a jarring tackle.
Team suspensions are rare. The sanction would be unusual in the case of a team with no disciplinary record, according to people familiar with disciplinary proceedings, who added it is very difficult to assess the matter without reviewing match reports.
In addition to steering BYU to last year’s collegiate championship game, Mr. Smyth led the 2006 Collegiate All-American team to Canada. Several of the team’s players earned All-American, representative, and international honors.
The sanction was announced in an email by Utah president Mark Ormsby, a former head coach at BYU and an employee of the Provo school. Mr. Ormsby has subsequently directed sharp public comments toward Mr. Smyth.
Neither Mr. Ormsby nor Mr. Smyth returned inquiries. A BYU representative declined comment prior to a hearing scheduled for Tuesday night.
BYU’s non-league match against Utah Valley State College this weekend has been postponed.
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