Milton basketball coach David Boyd denies breaking rules

One of Georgia’s most successful high school basketball coaches is categorically denying he broke any rules when recruiting players to his winning teams.

David Boyd, who has won six state titles at four different schools, resigned Monday from Milton High School after the school announced it had self-reported violations of ”undue influence of players to the Georgia High School Association. 

On Tuesday, school officials declined to elaborate on the specific allegations or who raised them.

”It’s unfortunate news, but we’re moving forward, said principal Clifford Jones.

Fulton County Schools athletic director, Dr. Steven Craft, said the system had been investigating the claims for weeks and would be tuing over its findings to the GHSA.

”We need to make sure all of our coaches, both head coaches and assistant coaches, understand all of the GHSA rules and regulations, he said, adding that ”undue influence describes a number of scenarios, including ”inviting someone to attend a game or practice or giving influence to help convince somebody to come to your school.

Under Boyd’s leadership, Milton has won two state championships in the last four years, taking runner-up the other two times.

According to the Atlanta Joual-Constitution, members of the Milton dynasty include high-profile transfers, including Shannon Scott (now at Ohio State), Dai-Jon Parker (Vanderbilt), Shaquille Johnson (Aubu) and Charles Mann (University of Georgia). 

Other players who reportedly joined the team include college prospects DaQuain Watts from North Springs, Shawn O’Connell from Roswell and Isaiah Manderson of Westside-Augusta.  The school also reportedly attracted out-of-state phenoms Johnnie Vassar from Indiana and Zach Hodskins from Tennessee.  The AJC reported the team plays games in Illinois, North Carolina and Florida in the upcoming season and was almost certain to have top-25 national rankings.

In an exclusive interview with Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik, Boyd denied the allegations.

”If helping players, some of whom may be coming from the other side of the tracks, if helping those players be successful, do well in school, become good citizens, ea scholarships, play in a winning program; if that’s undue influence, then guilty as charged, he told Petchenik.

Boyd said he resigned from his position because school officials told him he could no longer coach at Milton High School.