Raveling Cites Love for L.A. in Staying as USC’s Coach

George Raveling, Trojan basketball coach, said Monday he would stay at USC, turning down the vacant coaching position at Seton Hall.

Despite being offered more money and an opportunity to return to the area of his youth with a team in the Big East Conference, Raveling said his commitment was to USC.

“After a few sleepless nights and long hours of deliberation . . . ultimately, I had to decide to listen to my inner voice and the dictates of my heart,” said Raveling, who has coached at USC for eight seasons. “At this juncture of my professional career and coaching life, I’ve decided that it is best for me to remain as head basketball coach at the University of Southern California.”

Raveling spoke with USC President Steven Sample before making his choice.

The coach’s decision surprised some who had believed that he would accept the job because of his friendship with Larry Keating, Seton Hall’s athletic director, and the reported salary, $2.5 million for five years.

Raveling makes a base salary of $200,000 per year now and has two years left on his contract.

Raveling, however, cited other factors that were strong enough to make him stay at USC. His son, Mark, has another year at the school and Raveling said he has a growing love affair with Southern California as well.

“This has really been an emotional experience for me, perhaps the most in my 31 years as a basketball coach,” said Raveling, who came near to tears at one point during the news conference. “I’ve learned a lot from this. I realize that I really love SC.”

When asked about his rumored differences with Athletic Director Mike Garrett, who has made it no secret that he wants to upgrade the Trojans’ basketball program to ease the athletic department’s financial strains, Raveling answered:

“I don’t have any concern about that. I think some of that has been made more of than necessary.

“I feel that we’ve made significant progress with this program from the time I first took over. We all want instant gratification. But realistically, what we can get is delayed gratification. We’ve gone from the bottom of the heap to among the leaders.”

Garrett declined to comment.

Raveling, who said he has been told USC will have a new practice site by the end of 1995, denied reports that he was given a contract extension or a raise.

“Never did I once ask for an extension to my contract or ask for any additional money consideration,” Raveling said. “I would not want the characterization wrote that the school turned down (or accepted) the request because I never made that request.”

For the last two weeks, Raveling, 57, has been staying in a hotel in Irvine, preparing the U.S. national team for the Goodwill Games in Russia later this month. Since he became a candidate for the Seton Hall job, he said, he has had more than 200 phone messages at either the hotel or his Los Angeles home, most from local supporters.

“The support I’ve received has been amazing to me,” Raveling said. “The other day at a (U.S. national scrimmage game against the Lakers’ summer league team), a little kid walked up and gave me a note that said, ‘Coach Rav, don’t leave.’ Things like this made it kind of tough.”

Raveling has taken USC, Iowa and Washington State to the NCAA tournament and has a 115-118 record with the Trojans, who have been in postseason play the last four seasons. But he is coming off a 16-12 season in which the Trojans finished seventh in the Pacific 10 Conference and lost to Fresno State in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

“In the beginning, (getting the job offer) was kind of exciting,” Raveling said. “But then when you think about it being permanent, you start to wonder.

“I’m just relieved that it’s over.”