Former Kenwood High School basketball coach, Mike Irvin, has been accused of fraudulently enrolling at least 17 students at the Illinois school to play basketball, according to a report released by the Chicago Public Schools’ Office of the Inspector General. Irvin, who led Kenwood to several successful seasons, abruptly resigned before the start of the 2024 season.
The investigation was prompted by complaints from the school community and another CPS school’s head coach about illegal recruitment practices at Kenwood. CPS investigators found that half of the school’s varsity players over three years were fraudulently enrolled. Families of the players were given fake addresses and assistance in creating false documents to meet residency requirements.
Nearly all of the fraudulently enrolled players were on Irvin’s club team, the Mac Irvin Fire, which violates Illinois State High School Association rules. The Irvin family has a strong basketball legacy in Chicago, with Mike’s father Mac and brothers Byron, Lance, and Nick all deeply involved in the sport.
Despite the evidence presented by the inspector general, Kenwood was allowed to participate in the city tournament, reaching the championship game. However, they were ruled ineligible for the state tournament. Irvin denied allegations of fraud and claimed the report was a witch hunt.
The report concludes that Irvin and his staff violated multiple CPS and IHSA rules, and should have been caught by the CPS Office of Sports Administration and the school’s administration. Irvin has been placed on the district’s ‘do-not-hire’ list, and his future in basketball coaching remains uncertain.
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