Ex-water polo coach convicted in college admissions bribery
CTV
A decorated former water polo coach at the University of Southern California was found guilty Friday in the sprawling college admissions bribery scandal.
A federal jury in Boston convicted Jovan Vavic of fraud and bribery. He declined to comment after the hearing and left court with his family.
Vavic, 60, who guided USC's men's and women's water polo teams to 16 national championships, received about $250,000 in bribes for designating unqualified students as water polo recruits so they could attend the elite Los Angeles school, prosecutors said.
Vavic's defense argued he was just doing what he could to raise money for his dominant, championship-winning program as athletic officials at the school had demanded.
They also maintained never lied, never took a bribe and was a victim of USC's desire to protect its reputation and cover up a “pervasive culture” of accepting wealthy students who could provide donations windfalls.
