UCLA soccer coach charged in admissions fraud scandal resigns

(Reuters) - The University of California, Los Angeles' men's soccer coach, Jorge Salcedo, who is among those charged in the biggest college admissions fraud scheme ever uncovered in the United States, resigned his post on Thursday, school officials said. Salcedo was one of nine current or former college coaches, as well as an associate athletic director, who were charged by federal prosecutors in Boston on March 12 in connection with the fraud scheme that has captured national attention. University officials confirmed Salcedo's resignation to Reuters on Friday, and said that they had no additional comment. According to court documents, Salcedo was among the university officials who are accused of accepting bribes in exchange for designating admissions candidates as recruited athletes to increase their chances of gaining acceptance at elite schools. UCLA last week placed Salcedo on leave after learning he was charged with accepting up to $200,000 for helping two students gain admission by posing as competitive soccer players. "The conduct alleged in the filings revealed today is deeply disturbing and in contrast with the expectations we have of our coaches to lead their teams with honesty and integrity," UCLA and its athletic department said in a joint statement released on March 12. A representative for Salcedo was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Rich McKay; editing by William Maclean and G Crosse)