Univ. of Minnesota Exec Associate AD Mike Ellis "is on paid leave after a series of complaints were lodged against him" following former AD Norwood Teague's resignation last month, according to a front-page piece by Josh Verges of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. Ellis, who worked alongside Teague at VCU before the duo went to Minnesota, "was named in five complaints submitted recently through the U's anonymous reporting system." UM's HR office "investigated a complaint against Ellis in January 2013, but he was not disciplined." An anonymous Aug. 10 email addressed to UM President Eric Kaler alleged that a senior staffer "was shown 'pornographic images of college aged women on the phone'" of Ellis that he was exchanging with Teague. The event "happened during a dinner with senior athletics staff of Texas Tech" during a '12 bowl trip. The email said that when this staffer "took offense to the images, he was 'shunned' and soon fired." Ellis "was involved in Teague's hiring of basketball coach Shaka Smart at VCU." After joining UM, Ellis "took over" as Exec Associate AD "in charge of basketball." The school's sponsorship agreement with Nike "was handled by Ellis, who runs the Villa 7 consortium that helps college basketball assistants network for head coaching jobs across the country." UM "continues to pay Ellis his $153,000 salary while he is on leave" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/4). UM said that Ellis "is cooperating in the investigation, and he began his leave on Aug. 21." In Minneapolis, Dan Browning in a front-page piece reports while the complaints "do not name the person who was let go, the circumstances fit" former UM interim Associate AD/External Relations Chris Bahl, who now works as Associate AD/Customer Service & Sales at Oklahoma State. Bahl was "notified Jan. 10, 2013, that his contract would not be renewed in June as a result of a reorganization" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/4).
