UCLA fans should take one last glimpse at Steve Lavin, because
the only question left concerning his job status appears to be
whether he resigns or is fired.
Lavin has expressed interest in succeeding Gene Keady as head
coach of Purdue, under whom he was an assistant from 1988-1991,
according to a source close to the UCLA program.
Lavin met with several contacts he’s kept at Purdue while
the Bruins were playing at the Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis in
November 2002.
While Lavin is still revered by people within the Boilermaker
program, Keady is under contract until 2005. There has been
speculation that Keady, 62, would retire if Purdue struggled this
season, however the team is off to a 9-3 start that includes wins
over Louisville and Northwestern.
Lavin has made no indication that he would resign if the Bruins
continue to struggle, but UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said
that he would not fire Lavin mid-season for his team’s poor
performance.
“I’ve never been the type of athletic director that
likes to change coaches mid-season,” Guerrero said after
Saturday’s loss to St. John’s. “I’m very
consistent. I’m going to let coaches do their job and
evaluate them at the end of the season.”
There is also internal strife in the Bruin locker room, as
several players are unhappy with the fractured state of the team
and do not want to play for Lavin anymore. The Los Angeles Daily
News reported Sunday that both sophomore guard Cedric Bozeman and
sophomore guard/forward Dijon Thompson have mulled leaving the
team.
“I don’t know if he’s going to
transfer,” a source close to Thompson told the Daily News.
“But I talked to him Friday, and I know he’s unhappy.
He said the way Lavin is acting, it’s as if he’s
conceded.”
UCLA (4-7) is off to its worst start since the 1987-1988 season,
the last year in which the team missed the NCAA tournament. After
that season, Walt Hazzard was fired as Bruin head coach.
For the Bruins to have any chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA
tournament, they would likely have to win 13 of their final 16
regular season games. Otherwise they will have to bank on winning
the Pac-10 tournament.
Lavin, who makes $578,000 per year, has grown accustomed to the
rumors about his lack of job security swirling in the media
throughout his 7-year tenure, and at least publicly, he does not
acknowledge that this year is different from any other.
“The mythology and pathology of UCLA basketball is not
going to change,” Lavin said.
“A local reporter said to me, “˜Let’s be
honest. How gone are you?’ I said, “˜I don’t know.
No more gone or less gone than I was at any point in my
career,'” Lavin said.
Ңbull;Ӣbull;Ӣbull;
John Moynahan was in attendance for the 4,000th sporting event
of his life Saturday. The prolific fan got started in 1946 at
Ebbets Field in Brooklyn and has witnessed U.S. Opens, Super Bowls,
World Series and other events across the country since then.