Tarkanian: never a rebel without a cause

Sporting News, The, July 31, 1995 by Gene Wojciechowski

If anyone was going to take a chance on Richie Parker, the star guard from New York city whose felony sexual-abuse conviction has scared away school after school, I figured it would be Jerry Tarkanian and his desperate-for-talent Fresno State program.

Tarkanian, after all, has never been afraid of controversy, which is exactly what Parker's signing would bring. But, Tarkanian is taking a pass - for now - on Parker.

"I told his people he should go to junior college and start his life over," Tarkanian says. "I think if he goes to any four-year school now he's going to be subjected to harassment - and so is his school."

Tarkanian could use Parker, who averaged 28 points last season. Tarkanian could use anyone these days. But Parker, he says, needs anonymity and a new reputation.

"He needs to show people he's a good citizen," Tarkanian says. "He needs to start his life over."

Tarkanian, who didn't rule out recruiting Parker as a juco, knows the feeling. After his painful divorce from Nevada-Las Vegas, followed by a short, failed stint with the San Antonio Spurs, accompanied by assorted health concerns, followed by semi-retirement, Tarkanian is back at his alma mater.

"I really enjoy it up here," he says. "They treat me so good. And I like our team. I don't think we're going to be great but I really like the guys. I feel like they're totally committed."

Fresno State finished 13-15 overall, 7-11 in the Western Athletic Conference. Anything .500 or better this season would prompt city fathers to organize a parade. It's possible, especially with freshman forward Terrance Roberson who verbally committed to Michigan and then signed with Fresno State.

What Tarkanian is really waiting for is the 1996-97 season, when Boston College transfer guard Chris Herrin becomes eligible. Herrin, considered a can't-miss prospect when he signed with Boston College in '94, was overwhelmed by injury, academic problems and the pressures of being a home-state star. Now he's in summer school at Fresno State, will sit out this season and be ready for next fall's schedule. "I think a year from now our perimeter game win be as good as any I had at UNLV," Tarkanian says.

Tarkanian, who says he did more recruiting this past spring than he had in the previous 10 years, also had a chance to sign Kentucky's Rodrick Rhodes, who might not return to Lexington. "He wanted to transfer here," Tarkanian says, "but we didn't have a scholarship to give."

Tarkanian had scholarships to spare months ago, especially for another New York high school phenom, guard Stephon Marbury. In late December, before he even had the Fresno job, Tarkanian saw Marbury play in a tournament in San Diego.

"(Marbury) told me that if I ever got a job, he wanted to play for me," Tarkanian says. "And his father said that if I got a coaching job, his prayers would be answered."

Tarkanian got a job and tried contacting Marbury twice, "But I never did get a chance to talk to him. I think I got the job too late."

Marbury, who took his time sending the official papers, eventually signed with Georgia Tech.

On the road back

Clem Haskins' eventful summer continues

He had arthroscopic knee surgery in June. He was recently named to the 1996 USA Olympic team coaching staff. And July 15, while attending a wedding reception, he suffered chest pains and later underwent a heart angioplasty, which unclogs any blockages in the arteries.

The prognosis is good. Haskins, 52, who is still on crutches from the knee surgery, is expected to be ready for the coming season.

The same goes for Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who missed the final three months of the Blue Devils' season because of back and stress-related injuries. For the first time since the October 1994 back surgery, Krzyzewski returned to the road for recruiting.

"The fact is I am ready physically and mentally to coach," he says. "Anything that happens this year - if we don't win or do things up to someone's standards - it won't be because of me not being ready. Enough excuses, let's get on with it is the way I feel."

Breaking training

Kentucky's Rick Pitino, the same coach who hired Bernadette Locke-Mattox as an assistant coach in 1990, is being sued for sex discrimination by a former Wildcats trainer.

JoAnn Hauser, who spent four years as the men's team trainer before being reassigned to the women's team, also named Kentucky Athletic Director C.M. Newton, the Kentucky Athletics Association and the school as defendants. She alleges that Pitino and Newton told her it was "more natural" for male players to be treated by male trainers.

The university denied any wrongdoing and released a statement detailing its efforts to "accommodate (Hauser) in the athletic department," most notably, offering to move her back to the men's program. It also said Hauser voluntarily quit her job June 30.