University of Georgia suspended Basketball Assistant Coach Jim Harrick, Jr. on Friday, a day after former Georgia player Tony Cole accused him of "paying a $300 phone bill and giving him an 'A' in a class that Cole never attended." Harrick is the son of Georgia Basketball Head Coach Jim Harrick. In an interview with ESPN, Cole also said that Harrick, Jr. took, or arranged for someone else to take two correspondence courses for Cole from Lincoln Trail College. Georgia AD Vince Dooley said in a statement that Harrick, Jr. "is barred from participating in practices and games. He will be allowed to use the basketball office facilities." University President Michael Adams said " . . . that Ed Toley, legal counsel to the university's athletic council will lead the investigation into these allegations. We will take definitive and appropriate actions based upon the findings of the investigation." Tony Cole, a former Georgia basketball player was suspended 16 games last year when he faced sexual assault chaarges, but he was not reinstated even after the charges were dropped. He has since left the school. A friend of Coles, a Ms. Eva Davis, told ESPN that a man who gave his name as Jim harrick called her and offered to pay her expenses she incurred while Cole lived with her in Baton Rouge, LA. When she received a $300 phone bill, the money was sent to her to pay for the bill. A Western Union receipt identified the sender as "Jim Harrick." After his enrollment was delayed at Georgia, Cole spent roughly two weeks in Athens, GA area hotels, running up hotel bills close to $1000 in charges. Cole says that Harrick, Jr. paid off those bills. On Saturday though, Jim Harrick Sr. admitted that the phone bill was paid from money given to Cole, but says that it came from a "non-profit source." If these charges are found to be true, Georgia will be facing an immediate NCAA investigation and probable probation for their basketball program.

To read more on this: Click on the articles listed below:

http://georgiadogs.ocsn.com/sports/m-baskb.../022803aaa.html

http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0301/1516623.html

Have a GOOD ONE GUYS!!!

David

this looks like trouble big time for the Harricks and Georgia, the reciept for the 300 bucks is like a daggar. I really dont see how they can get out of this. Its really a sad state of affairs now in college sports and now even in high schools.

At this rate, maybe Vandy will be the only eligible school left in the SEC! Then we'll actually have a chance in football.

It is a shame to see schools continuing to ignore rules and do what they feel they have to in order to win games. It is clearly an infraction to provide support to prospective players, and to provide them with free passes in class. (Whether it be calculus or coaching.)

Jim Harrick has trouble follow him wherever he goes. He was ousted from UCLA for questionable behavior, there were some questions surrounding him at URI, and now UGA is under investigation. Someone needs to clue in that the man has some integrity issues.

What is really a shame is that the school and the team now have to suffer through this. It is really kind of selfish to put everyone through that kind of turmoil. Just like the Michigan players accepting all that money from the supporter. They are all now in the NBA making good money. But the school and its current players are paying the price for their poor decision-making.

I keep reading reports also that this Cole kid is bitter and was when he was at UGA. The article said that he just wants some attention and is getting it.

While I realize everyone is "innocent until proven guilty" I'm somewhat surprised that Vince Dooley hasn't had the guts or the cajones to fire this slimeball Harrick on the spot (even though Harrick Jr is now suspended -- WITH pay, I might add)....then again, I probably shouldn't be too surprised at Dooley's lack of definitive action since he has never demonstrated much in the way of leadership skills or class going back to his days of coaching the Dawgs football team for several decades (I admitedly may have a little anti-UGA bias since they never treated the Gamecocks very well on the gridiron) ....in either event, it's one thing for "unsubstantiated allegations" to surface but this is clearly far more than just a "smoking gun" -- not to mention Harrick's past record at UCLA and URI is far from stellar either (didn't he break a few rules at Pepperdine too?).

Even though we have grown accustomed to these stories about corrupt coaches resurfacing again and again (most of whom are rehired somewhere else by short-sighted or equally inept AD's, although in this instance I think Harrick AND his son had better look for another profession that better suits their unethical, dishonest nature -- like used car salesmen perhaps? ) it only makes me shake my head in bewilderment at all the Bob Knight bashers who seem to take pleasure in unfairly criticizing the General every chance they get....not to get too far off the topic of this thread but while Knight may be a strict disciplinarian who steadfastly refuses to tolerate selfish, non-team oriented players (and in this day and age that's a good thing IMHO and a policy that more coaches should adopt), no one can dispute the fact that in addition to his stellar win-loss record Knight has run a 100% clean program that has been free of recruiting violations and impropriety throughout his entire 30+ year coaching career -- not to mention the fact that how many stories do you read about former players of his that have gotten in trouble with the law while they are an active student or even following their collegiate careers? -- hardly coincidental, I would say.

Getting back to the central topic of this discussion, Harrick (like Clem Haskins at Minnesota and far too many of his brethren) should be banned from coaching at any NCAA institution and, assuming there is a "proper conduct clause" in his contract at Georgia, he should be forced to repay the millions of dollars that he AND his equally corrupt son have "stolen" from the university during their brief tenure in Athens....the most tragic part of this whole story is the fact that Dooley hired Harrick as head coach in the first place due to his own selfish greed and win-first mentality despite the fact that he was fully aware of the considerable "baggage" and ethical questions that surrounded Harrick at each of his two previous employers....in addition to Harrick being shown the door once and for all, we can also only hope that UGA and Dooley are SEVERELY penalized by the NCAA for this willful and intentional disregard for the welfare of the student-athletes that they were entrusted with upon their enrollment in Athens.

Hopefully Dooley's predecessor (which will happen soon if the loyal Bulldog supporters and alumni are lucky) will hire a coach with some morality and teaching skills who does not feel he has to resort to breaking every rule in order to be "successful" -- perhaps he might want to start his search by looking in the direction of one of Bob Knight's MANY coaching disciples, NONE of whom have ever been embroiled in any similar breach of conduct since they are all fully capable of teaching the game of basketball to young athletes THE RIGHT WAY.

[ March 03, 2003, 05:31 AM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

Gamecock: I am right there with you on the banishment of coaches who cannot follow the rules. The Jerry Tarkanians, and Jim Harricks of the college basketball world should not be allowed to coach anymore. But what is amazing is that schools continue to hire these guys, even though they are aware of their pasts. It is not like they can hide them, cause they are so widely reported on!!! And you are right about Bobby Knight. Yes, he may have a bad temper (which he seems to have under control at Texas Tech), he continues to have one of the highest graduation rates among active coaches, and has NEVER been the subject of an NCAA investigation.

David

P.S. I have heard the same thing about the Cole kid, but Harrick, Sr. has admitted that they gave the kid money. However, he is saying that it came from a non-profit organization, therefore it was legal. Who knows!!!

hah!!!

I just gopt back from Atlanta last night and this story is what everyone is talkiun about.

one..... The money did NOT come fomr the Dale Brown Foundation. Dale Brown himself refuted that rumor in a press conference.

he may be a bitter kid (why else bring all this shit up if not to "payback" those he feels wronged him?) But when he says, "he paid it with Jim Harrick Sr's credit card and I still got the receipt. Look at his credit card stmt" it's hard to deny that it took place. after all, the proof, the receipts are there in writing. I think I know what Judge Judy would decide.

I will be the first to admit that I think the Harricks are guilty. I have never liked them from day one. However, that being said, I do feel the need to take up for my university and AD. Gamecock, I'm not sure what examples you know of that show Dooley's lack of class and leadership. Of course, I'm more than a little biased in this area too. And for the record, it was UGA President Adams who was so high on getting Harrick. They go way back to Harrick's days at UCLA. Adams and Dooley have had several very public fueds since Adams came to UGA.

As for Cole being a bitter bad guy, I think there is some truth to that. He has said in several interviews that he is motivated by revenge and that if Harrick would have let him play one more year, he would have never come out with the allegations. If what Cole has said is the truth, and honestly, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it is, Harrick and his son need to be fired and I think you will see that happen. Bottom line, Harrick should have never recruited the guy to begin with, but you can't change the past. We'll take our punishment if it is deserved and move on.

Dawg, I'm with you. Vince Dooley is a class act all the way around and I'm not just saying that because he's an Auburn grad. He's just a helluva guy.

Adams has been trouble since he got to the University. Remember, he is the one who got rid of Jim Donnan because of a disagreement they had. Hell, didn't UGA just go with one loss with his kids?

If these allegations are true, Harrick needs to go...and take Cliff Ellis with him.

Well, Georgia did not waste any time in taking action, as Asst Coach Jim Harrick, Jr. was terminated on Wednesday afternoon. I must give a big shout of approval out to the school, as they took immediate action to get rid of a coach that was about to take the program down with them. Now all they have to do is get rid of Harrick Sr. This will also help them when they present their case to the NCAA, by showing that they took immediate and decisive action to correct the problem. Harrick, however is still insisting that " . . . He is a good guy and is a victim in this situation." LOL I have to laugh at that. I just hope some other school is not stupid enough to hire this guy for another position.

David

[ March 08, 2003, 09:04 AM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

Harrick Sr. hasn't been fired. His son, assistant coach Jim Harrick Jr., was the one who was fired. Pops still has a job. They won't do anything about Sr. until the season is over.

While Jim Sr still is employed at UGA (at least for now) I wouldn't say he's a lock to finish the season though, George....at his news conference a couple of days ago when the University President was asked about the likelihood of Jim Sr coaching the Bulldogs in next weeks SEC tournament, he replied that was not a certainty and that he was no longer listening to ANYTHING that Jim Sr had to say about the matter but rather was concentrating his efforts solely upon the facts obtained from the investigation.

Even though I've always rooted against Georgia in all sports (going back to the days of Buck Belue and their National Championship on the gridiron) the sooner that Vince Dooley and company get rid of this corrupt lier the better off the school will be and the sooner they can start cleaning up the program and its tarnished reputation.

I agree with your assessment gamecock. However, Georgia has a chance to do well in the tournament. A good run in the NCAA tournament is worth way to much dinero to risk rocking the boat. Plus its going to take a while to compile a truly thorough investigation so that this skunk doesn't turn around and sue the university for wrongful termination. But you could just see his nose growing during the interview he did with Dick Vitale! All that said, unless there is some MAJOR new evidence between now and the end of the season, Harri-chio is safe.

Just found this pretty funny bit in ESPN.com. Page 2 prepared a mock resume for Jim Harrick as he applies for the coaching job at St. Bonaventure!

Thanks George. I was in the hospital and read that out of the newspaper. Well, the newspaper this morning came out with an apology for misprinting the title. LOL It is amazing the difference ONE LETTER can make in a headline!!! LOL Anyways, I have corrected my posting above, but I still think that Harrick, Sr. needs to go. You can not convince me that the father did not know what the son was doing. I hope that Georgia wakes up and terminates Harrick, Sr. as well, or the NCAA is going to have LOTS OF FUN with this program, mark my words!!!!!

David
Exfballplayer

Hey Guys: Here are some links with the latest news surrounding this story!!! It is just a matter of time before Harrick is gone!!!

More Allegations while at Georgia:

http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0302/1516986.html
http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0304/1517912.html

University of Rhode Island now investigating the Harricks:

http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0303/1517594.html
http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0308/1520390.html

Here is the Dick Vitale Interview:

http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0308/1520390.html

Tony Cole facing felony charges:

http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0308/1520405.html

Enjoy the reading guys!!! It just seems to be getting deeper and deeper in Bulldawg Country!!!

David
exfballplayer

There will be a 4:30 p.m. EST press conference in which it will be announced that Jim Harrick has been fired. UGA will NOT participate in the SEC nor NCAA tournament.

WOW!

WOW is right! Though I just saw the press conference will be at 5:30. Interestingly, nothing on ESPN.com about this yet, though I see it on the scroll on ESPN2.

I can't believe they are foregoing the post season! Why do the kids get f**ked over by the alleged grown ups? Unless some of them were somehow complicit in the wrongdoings? :confused:

How long before Harrick gets another gig?

[ March 10, 2003, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: George_vikingfan ]

While I think that dismissing Harrick is the right thing to do, I do believe that the players DESERVE the chance to play in the SEC tournament and the NCAA. The players have done nothing wrong, yet they are the ones that seem to be getting punished the most. I hope to GOD that NO ONE is stupid enough to hire Harrick for another position. This is just terrible what has happened to those young players. It is an honorable thing that Georgia is punishing itself in the wake of what happened, it is just sad that the players are going to suffer the most. Kinda reminds me of what happened to the Arkansas players last year as they got caught up in the battle between Richardson and the University. Just plain sad.

David

you are right...it's 5:30 Eastern...4:30 Central. Another supposed event is that two of the players will be suspended for all of next year as well. Sounds like dirty coaches, dirty players.

Obviously we don't know all the facts, but what a f**king cop out. Suspension WITH PAY??? Gimme a break!

So now they reseed the SEC Tournament and Tennessee gets bumped up. Ironically, one of their players has been declared academically ineligible! eek!

[ March 10, 2003, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: George_vikingfan ]

Don't be fooled by the suspension with pay. Harrick is out. Dooley did the same thing with Harrick, Jr. before it was announced that his contract would not be renewed. I think UGA made that decision based on legal advice. Until all the facts come to light, they are taking it slow to avoid any legal ramifications down the line from Harrick. UGA could have just as easily waited for the NCAA to complete the investigation and hand out a penalty. If they had done well in the tournament and then it was found out that the allegations were true, the success in the NCAA would have been tainted. I would much rather they step up to the plate and take the punishment rather than wait and take down banners like Michigan. It's certainly an embarassment to UGA. Adams should be ashamed of himself and keep his nose out of the athletic department. HE brought Harrick, he overlooked the anti-nepotism rule at UGA to hire his son and he had the final sign-off on letting Cole into UGA.

Disgusting. I can't believe the school is telling its own players they can't play in the tournament. Well, I can believe it - these jerkoffs in the Georgia administration should be ashamed.

I have a feeling Dooley knows what he's doing, or has possibly already found additional evidence that may bring NCAA sanctions.

More telling is that Harrick has had unethical scrapes at both UCLA and Rhode Island. Both schools should remember the cloud under which he left. And I suspect that Dooley now realizes that skunks don't change their stripes.

Still, sad for the kids. Sadder yet would be NCAA probation in 2004.

A thing to keep in mind about the decision to stay out of post-season play is that the school would risk a lot of money. The NCAA can strip them of any victories that they have in the tournament. At that point, the school would have to re-pay any revenues earned from playing the games. That happened to UMass after the whole Camby mess came to light. Can you imagine how hard it would be for a state school to clear that amount of money after they have already spent it? Per usual, it all comes back to a business decision.

Feinstein was on Finebaum yesterday (a regional sports talk radio). He said it is interesting that in the trouble most recently with UGA and St. Bonaventure, the common thread is that the University Presidents were directly involved with the decision to hire the coach or approve the player with the welding degree.

I know Coach Dooley takes a lot of heat from the UGA fans and some of it is warranted. However, the TWO biggest athletic department decisions of recent memory were made by UGA President Michael Adams.

He is the one that decided Jim Donnan had to go and this was over the objections of Coach Dooley. He was the one that made the decision to hire the rogue Harrick as basketball coach and this was over the objections of Coach Dooley.

It seems to me UGA fans that Coach Dooley knows a little something about being a good AD and Michael Adams doesn't. Adams should be put out to pasture with Harrick in my opinion.

I agree with you. Just as the St.Bonaventure president was fired, Adams should be fired also. After all, he was the one who lobbied to hire his friend Harrick as coach. That was done despite Harrick being fired from two universities for NCAA violations.

Adams and Harrick are friends from their days together at Pepperdine. They should be fired together.

A couple of Georgia players got a lawyer and sought an injunction to allow the Bulldogs to play in the postseason. The judge refused it. Ironically, if the lawyer took the case for the players pro bono, it could be an NCAA violation in the form of an extra benefit!
From ESPN.com:

While, as a player I understand the frustration of the players, but I think Dooley was doing what he feels is best for the University. But, it is now looking like the players were involved in this, and if that is so, then I feel the players have no leg to stand on here. And with what should be a pending NCAA investigation, Georgia could avoid more severe penalties by saying that they voluntarily took themselves out of the SEC and the NCAA Tournaments. The NCAA would look favorably on that, and would lessen their punishments. Keep in mind, Fresno State did the same thing this year. Fresno State was assured a #1 bid at the WAC Tourney and a sure NCAA bid, but the University took themselves out because of alleged infractions that occurred while Jerry Tarkanian was coach there. Just another university that suffered cause of the improper dealing of their coaches!!!

David
exfballplayer

Is it just my imagination, or has the NCAA turned into Louisiana politics over the last two years?

Between player arrests (the blotter is so long that I will avoid an example), coaching defections/betrayals, and programs under investigation....blech! No sport seems immune to this trend of insanity.

Aubbie: You are exactly right about the way the NCAA seems to be continuing on a destructive road. I do not think there is a single sport that is not touched by this progression, and it is really sad. So many innocent players are affected every day by this. Yes, there are those players that deserve it, but most dont. I think the NCAA needs to considering reorganizing, starting at the top down, and put some people in those positions who are SERIOUS about cleaning this crap up. By the way, CONGRATS to the Tigers. I am shouting for the all the way in the NCAA Tourney!!! I can not believe that Florida dropped out so early.

David
exfballplayer

ESPN.com is reporting that Jim Harrick Sr. has \"resigned\". Yeah, sure. wink

Well at least now Georgia can do some coach shopping at the Final Four!

[ March 27, 2003, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: George_vikingfan ]

Seems as the kids that signed letters of intent will not be released from their agreements, at least for now. I hope these guys get themselves a great lawyer and sue Georgia, the NCAA, whoever it takes. UGA basically perpertuated a fraud upon these guys and they should have every right to play for another school. They shouldn't be forced to play with a program that will likely have some sort of probation in the near future. From ESPN.com: