clippers

SoCalHoops College News Report

Harrick Is Not Coming To
The Clippers. . . Yeah, Right.--(May 7,1998)

We think Jim Harrick will be announcing for the Clippers head coaching job within the next 30-45 days. While there has been talk of others in whom the Clippers have an interest, or others who have an interest in the Clippers, we think Harrick is the most likely choice. He's friends with Donald Sterling, who thinks Harrick can coach. And if there was any doubt that Jim Harrick might be coming to the Clippers as the new head coach consider what's happened in Rhode Island in the past few days. Sure, it's all just circumstantial, but it's pretty compelling:

1. Because of NCAA violations committed by Jim Harrick and his staff at UCLA, the University of Rhode Island men's basketball program will be required to keep a log of all calls it makes to representatives of "club" teams. It's just a slap on the wrist, and the UCLA "probation" is also a mere trifle; but the important point is that the "sanctions" put an end to Harrick's biggest embarrassment, and it allows him to completely walk away from his past troubles with a clean conscience.

2. In the last week, Larry Farmer, the top assistant on Jim Harrick's staff at URI (and a former UCLA head coach himself) has been interviewing for the vacant job as head basketball coach at Loyola of Chicago; the other candidate is Jim Cleamons, a former Bulls player and assistant coach with strong ties to Chicago.

3. In the last week, Farmer's name also has been mentioned as a candidate for another job---as an assistant coach on Rick Pitino's Boston Celtics, the post vacated by Winston Bennett.

4. Today, May 7, 1997 Lamar Odom, the former New York City high school All-American who was first recruited by Harrick at UCLA, who followed Harrick to URI but was not eligible to play last season for the Rams, declared for the NBA draft. Either he really wants to make the jump, or he's waiting to see what happens with Harrick; if Harrick goes, we'd bet 1,000 to 1 that Odam makes the jump and never plays a day of college ball.

5. Former URI coach (and most recently ex-Texas head coach) Tom Penders is reportedly a candidate for the URI job when and if Harrick vacates; coincidentally, Penders' son is an assistant to Harrick at URI.

6. Harrick was "unavailable for comment" on any of these developments. He has neither denied nor confirmed that he's been interviewed by the Clippers. He was reportedly in West Virginia this last week.

So, let's recap. Harrick's name is repeatedly being mentioned as a top candidate for the Clippers head job, mostly by Digger Phelps and some of the local media here in Los Angeles; his top assistant is interviewing at other schools and/or the NBA; his star prospect has declared for the NBA as a "safety measure" in case Harrick splits, and he's lining up the payback job for his buddy Penders who helped him out after the UCLA firing.

We don't really have a clue about what will actually happen. Well, ok, maybe a few clues. In fact, we think the writing is on the wall, and we'd be very surprised if Harrick was not making some moves towards Los Angeles and the new Staples Arena. Just what Steve Lavin needs, a few more distractions.