Regents Don’t Change Tarkanian’s Status : Nevada Las Vegas: Coach meets for five hours in closed session with the university board officials, who say it was for information only.
LAS VEGAS — The status of Nevada Las Vegas basketball Coach Jerry Tarkanian was unchanged Monday after a five-hour, closed-door meeting involving Tarkanian and members of the University of Nevada System Board of Regents.
The meeting, apparently requested by Tarkanian, was called to deal with the controversies that have surrounded the UNLV program--the most recent being the publication of photographs showing former UNLV players Moses Scurry, David Butler and Anderson Hunt socializing with convicted sports fixer Richard Perry.
A portion of the meeting was also devoted to a presentation of UNLV legal counsel Brad Booke’s response to the 29 charges that were lodged against the Rebels’ basketball program by the NCAA in a letter of official inquiry last December. Booke’s response, which has not been made public, was forwarded to the NCAA last week.
Because the regents voted to meet in executive session for the purpose of discussing university personnel, the meeting was closed to the public, and most participants declined to comment on the proceedings, citing state law.
“It was a very informative meeting, and I think all of us know a whole lot more than we did when we went in,†said Shelley Berkley, a regent from Las Vegas. “I think that’s the only thing I can comment on.â€
Berkley added, however, that “no deals†were struck regarding Tarkanian’s future at UNLV.
“There was no resolution (to the situation),†she said. “This was (for) information only.â€
Several regents stressed that any decision regarding Tarkanian would be made by UNLV President Robert Maxson, who attended the meeting and also declined comment afterward.
Las Vegas newspapers have reported that Tarkanian’s representatives and UNLV officials have discussed a deal in which Tarkanian would be allowed to coach through the 1991-92 season before resigning.
In brief comments after emerging from the meeting, Tarkanian said there had been “no change†in his job status and that the subject of his contract did not come up.
Tarkanian’s contract, through which he receives $203,976 in base salary and an estimated $222,000 worth of UNLV basketball tickets, is guaranteed for the next two years and will be guaranteed for a third year if he doesn’t receive notice before July 1 that the contract won’t be renewed.
The contract calls for Tarkanian’s automatic dismissal only in the event that he is tied to a major NCAA violation.
Although the NCAA has charged UNLV with exercising a lack of institutional control over its basketball program in several areas covered in the official inquiry, Tarkanian and his lawyers have stated that nothing that has come to light would be grounds for Tarkanian’s dismissal.
Of Monday’s meeting, Tarkanian said: “I thought the regents were very attentive. They gave me an opportunity to go through everything.â€
Said Alan Jones, one of three attorneys who accompanied Tarkanian to the session: “All I know is the coach was pleased . . . because he had direct contact with the regents and explained a lot of things.â€
Tarkanian confirmed that the Perry matter was discussed, but declined to say what other subjects were considered.
The NCAA alleges that Perry, as a representative of UNLV’s interests, was involved in a series of improper contacts, recruiting inducements and extra benefits involving Lloyd Daniels and Scurry. Both are from New York.
Tarkanian, however, claims that Perry, who has twice been convicted on sports bribery charges, has no ties to UNLV.
