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UTEP assistant coach Lamont Smith resigns after he's implicated in college admissions scandal

San Diego head coach Lamont Smith looks on during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Gonzaga Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

University of Texas-El Paso assistant basketball coach Lamont Smith resigned on Wednesday after he was implicated in the nationwide college admissions scandal.

Smith, who previously served as the head coach at the University of San Diego from 2015-2018, is accused of accepting a bribe to help a student earn admission to San Diego.

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San Diego was able to identify Smith publicly on Wednesday, only after the Department of Justice modified a confidentiality order, according to the Associated Press.

Smith compiled a 42-53 record in three seasons at San Diego. He resigned last March after he was arrested amid a domestic violence investigation, however no charges were filed. He was in his first season on staff at UTEP.

According to ABC10 in San Diego, real estate developer Robert Flaxman paid about $100,000 “to get his son in the side door” at San Diego “with the help of a USD coach.” Smith allegedly helped Flaxman’s son earn admission to the university as a basketball recruit, though he didn’t play basketball. Flaxman allegedly paid a similar bribe for his daughter’s admission, though she declined to attend the university.

Several Hollywood elites, including Desperate Housewives actor Felicity Huffman and Full House actor Lori Loughlin, were implicated in the massive scandal, in which they are accused of bribing their children into college. More than 50 people were charged, and bribes ranged from “a few thousand to up to $6 million.”

Multiple college coaches have also been implicated in the scandal — including USC associate athletic director Donna Heinel, Wake Forest volleyball coach William Ferguson, UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo and Texas men’s tennis coach Michael Center, among others — and are also accused of designating students as recruits to help earn admission.

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