Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Was Tyler Hansbrough’s mother involved in the resignation of a UNC fundraiser?

Indiana Pacers' players walk on court after a fourth quarter time out during NBA Eastern Conference second round basketball playoff series in Miami

Indiana Pacers’ players (L-R) Tyler Hansbrough, Louis Amundson, Dahntay Jones, Darren Collison and Leandro Barbosa walk on the court after a fourth quarter time out as they met the Miami Heat during Game 5 of their NBA Eastern Conference second round basketball playoff series in Miami, Florida May 22, 2012. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

REUTERS

Yes, you read that headline right.

A report in the Charlotte News & Observer states that the mother of the former North Carolina star may have been involved when now-former Tar Heel fundraiser Matt Kupec was dipping into the university account to take personal trips.

Tami Hansbrough, who is stated to be “divorced” according to the report, is also on leave due to the investigation into the trips, which she may have also been going on. She was hired as a fundraiser in December 2008, according to the report.

Kupec and Hansbrough were said to have already been in a relationship by mid-2010, according to the report, though it also states that Kupec, who separated from his wife in 2009, committed “marital misconduct” according to North Carolina state law.

Chancellor Holden Thorp told the newspaper that Kupec submitted his resignation Sunday night.

“Last night I told Matt what I had been finding and I was going to have to do a thorough investigation of his travel, and he offered his resignation,” Thorp said, adding he accepted it. “It was difficult because Matt has been such a great person for the university and has raised billions of dollars for us,” Thorp added, “but I had to share with him what we had been finding and it didn’t look good and that it’s likely that this sort of personally driven travel was unacceptable, and we are going to need to do a pretty thorough investigation of it.”

This incident and investigation occurred while the athletics program was being looked into for an academic scandal, so this has to add to the massive headaches in the administrative offices.

As for the Hansbrough connection, if true, this is totally embarrassing for Tyler and the family, though it seems like there was no Bobby Petrino/Jessica Dorrell-like scandal going on here. Can’t imagine this is the end of it all. Though it does seem like business and pleasure did mix.