Audit of TRCC booster club released

Missouri Auditor Susan Montee released an almost 50-page report on Monday of her office's findings during an audit of Three Rivers Community College, including the school's athletic booster club, which has been headed by legendary basketball coach Gene Bess for years.

Bess, who has been the head coach of the men's basketball team at the school since 1971, has more wins than any other collegiate coach with more than 1,000 to date.

The audit, according to the report, "included, but was not necessarily limited to, the years ended June 30, 2008, 2007, and 2006" and found that Bess's position as leader of the booster club was inappropriate and that "some booster club expenditures were noted which may not be appropriate or prudent uses of funds."

The list of questionable expenses totals almost $10,000, but the auditor's office calling the purchases inappropriate or imprudent should not be confused as saying the purchases violated any NJCAA bylaws.

For example, one purchase the auditor's office singled out was $2,200 spent on watches for "players, coaches, and other individuals associated with the men's basketball team who attended a national tournament."

Both Bess and the college's president, Devin Stephenson, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the gifts were acceptable because an NJCAA rule allows players to receive gifts from the college worth up to $500.

Other spending the report deemed questionable include $3,906 spent on health insurance costs and $868 in dental costs for student-athletes, $1,630 for two student-athletes to take classes at a different school and $1,354 on round-trip plane ticket allowing a player from overseas to visit his home.

The report also said the booster club needed to improve the documentation of season ticket sales and recommended that club officials stop using cash to pay game officials and other workers at basketball tournaments sponsored by the club.

In its written response to the audit's findings, Three Rivers said it should have appointed a college official to work with the booster club and that it would follow the report's recommendations for documenting season ticket purchases and reducing the use of cash payments.