Boston Celtics' assistant coach Allen pleads guilty to bribery charge against him

Boston Celtics assistant coach Jerome Allen has entered a guilty plea to a bribery charge dating back to his time as a college coach.

He was accused of, in 2014, accepting $18,000 from the father of a prospective student who wanted Allen to use his "position as coach to help his son get admitted to the school as a 'listed' recruit," Allen said in a statement issued through his attorney after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

As part of a plea agreement, Allen must repay the $18,000 and pay a $200,000 fine. He is expected to be suspended but remains on coach Brad Stevens' staff.

He joined the Celtics in 2015.

"I failed on many levels," Allen, 45, said in the statement. "Primarily, I had a failure of character. I did not live up to the high standards I set for myself or were expected of me in the position that I held.

"I am heartbroken that my players -- current and former -- will know that I broke the law. But, I do hope that some good may come out of this. I wish to model to my young players how one accepts responsibility for wrongdoing, including the consequences that come from unlawful behaviour."

Team president Danny Ainge said he respects how Allen has handled the situation.

"It was disappointing to hear that Jerome got himself involved in this, but it's good that he took responsibility," Ainge said, according to the Boston Herald. "Right away, from the very beginning, he took responsibility, and I like people that do that.

"This happened well before he was a Celtic, and he's an important member of our staff. He's been a good role model to a lot of our young players. It's a big mistake that he made, but, again, I like the fact that he took responsibility and he owned up to his mistakes and wants to move forward."

Ainge would not address a potential suspension, but he said he didn't think the NBA would get involved.

"No, I think the league will let us handle this, and we'll handle it internally," he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)