Pac-10 Probes Hobert’s High School Job

The Pacific 10 Conference is investigating whether University of Washington athletic boosters improperly provided quarterback Billy Joe Hobert with a job in high school and financial benefits after he joined the Huskies.

Hobert, a junior, has been declared ineligible to play football for accepting $50,000 in loans last spring from the father-in-law of a friend. The man who made the loan was not connected to the university, and the Pac-10 said the Huskies did not have to forfeit any of the eight games Hobert played in this year.

The Seattle Times reported in a copyright story Sunday that Hobert got a greenskeeping job at the Tyee Valley Golf Club before his senior year at Puyallup (Wash.) High. Hobert said he got the job because of arrangements made by Ron Crowe, the mayor of Puyallup at the time and a former Husky basketball player.

Crowe said Husky booster Herb Mead contacted him with the job offer and told him Washington wanted to recruit Hobert, the state’s top prep football prospect in 1988-89.

NCAA rules prohibit boosters and alumni from being involved “directly or indirectly, in making arrangements for or giving” financial aid or other benefits to a prospect.

Barbara Hedges, University of Washington athletic director, would not comment to the Seattle Times on the job.