UNLV Officials Videotape Coaches Possibly Holding Illegal Practices

Nevada Las Vegas officials, using a video camera hidden in an air-conditioning duct, secretly taped a conditioning class during which basketball players may have been practicing early in violation of NCAA regulations.

The school said Tuesday it uncovered evidence that “certain activities” were conducted in the class that might constitute basketball practice. It sent a memo to three assistant coaches asking them to appear at a hearing to answer the allegations.

One of the coaches, longtime assistant Tim Grgurich, expressed outrage and said through his attorney that the university had also been following him and opening his mail.

UNLV legal counsel Brad Booke said the video camera was installed only after the school was thwarted in efforts to dispel charges that UNLV players were practicing together before the official Oct. 15 start of practice.

Booke said the doors were locked to the campus gym where the class was conducted, and said the university needed to find out for itself whether it was breaking any NCAA rules.

Booke declined to say what was on the Oct. 8 videotape of the class, which has 13 UNLV basketball players among its 28 students.