Adviser at center of Okla. hoops probe leaves Merrill, joins Raymond James

The financial adviser who reportedly gave money to a University of Oklahoma basketball star has left Bank of America Merrill Lynch and become affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services Inc.

Jeffrey Hausinger, who was based in a Merrill office in Tampa, Fla., reportedly gave Oklahoma basketball player Tiny Gallon $3,000 earlier this year — which, if true, would be a violation of NCAA recruiting rules. TMZ.com first reported Mr. Hausinger’s ties to Oklahoma last month.

University officials confirmed last week that they are now officially conducting an internal investigation that will explore Mr. Hausinger’s interactions with Mr. Gallon and other members of the Oklahoma basketball team.

Merrill Lynch spokesman Bill Halldin confirmed that Mr. Hausinger has left the firm. He declined to comment on what role, if any, the probe played in Mr. Hausinger’s departure.

Anthea Penrose, a spokeswoman for Raymond James Financial Services, confirmed that Mr. Hausinger joined Raymond James. Mr. Hausinger’s Finra Broker Check record shows that he became affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services on March 29. Click here to view Mr. Hausinger’s Finra records.)

When reached on his cell phone by InvestmentNews this morning, Mr. Hausinger said that he did not have time to discuss his new affiliation, or any of the events leading up to his move from Merrill Lynch to Raymond James.

Oklahoma remains on probation for major NCAA rules violations committed by its football and men’s basketball programs in recent years. The football violations involved players, including starting quarterback Rhett Bomar, receiving pay for work they did not perform at a Norman, Okla., car dealership. The basketball violations stemmed from hundreds of impermissible recruiting phone calls made by former coach Kelvin Sampson.
Mr. Gallon was suspended for undisclosed reasons for Oklahoma’s game at Oklahoma State in mid-February but returned to play the remainder of the Sooners’ games. The former McDonald’s All-American appeared in each of Oklahoma’s other 30 games this season and started 21 times, averaging 10.3 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds.
Since the end of the season, Oklahoma has lost two other basketball players. Point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin, also a former McDonald’s All-American, decided to turn pro after his freshman season, while reserve guard Ray Willis opted to transfer.

The Associated Press contributed to this article

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