Former Georgetown coach handed harshest sentence yet in college admissions scandal

Cami Mondeaux

July 01, 06:40 PM July 01, 07:03 PM

A former tennis coach at Georgetown University was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for his role in the college admissions scandal, marking the harshest sentence to date in "Operation Varsity Blues."

Gordon Ernst pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges in October 2021, admitting he accepted nearly $3.5 million over the course of 10 years in exchange for recruiting the children of wealthy parents. Of the six spots Ernst was tasked to fill each year, the coach would give at least two, and in some cases five, to the children despite them lacking the athletic ability required for placement on the Georgetown tennis team, according to prosecutors.

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"I'm most ashamed that I didn't follow what I was preaching to them," Ernst testified in court.

More than 54 parents have pleaded guilty in relation to Operation Varsity Blues, a scandal that arose after it was discovered several wealthy parents, such as celebrities Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, had bribed college recruiters to admit their children to selective schools.

Ernst became the head coach for the men’s and women’s tennis teams in 2006, which is when he was introduced to admissions consultant Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the bribery scheme, he testified. During his tenure, Ernst offered spots on the team to nearly two dozen students, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney.

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Unlike several of the other convicted coaches, who were bribed in the form of money for their sports programs, Ernst pocketed all the money he got for himself and spent it to pay for his daughters’ private schooling and to purchase a home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, prosecutors said.

In addition to his prison sentence, Ernst must spend six years in home confinement and must pay a fine of $3.43 million, according to Reuters.