Hazzard Signs Self-Renewing UCLA Contract

Six months after coaching UCLA to the Pacific 10 basketball championship and one week after the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. penalized his program for recruiting violations, UCLA Athletic Director Peter Dalis announced Monday that Walt Hazzard has signed a self-renewing contract extension.

The new agreement is a two-year extension through the 1989-90 season and expires March 31, 1990, but contains a roll-over provision, which means that it automatically renews itself after every year. In effect, the roll-over provision gives Hazzard, 45, a perpetual three-year contract.

Such contracts are not unusual at UCLA, where football Coach Terry Donahue’s contract rolls over every year, thereby remaining a five-year contract year after year. Hazzard’s roll-over deal, however, indicates that he has regained some backing from the UCLA administration.

“Walt has done a fine job of rebuilding the foundation of UCLA basketball,” Dalis said. “We feel the future of Bruin basketball figures to be very exciting.”