Harrick Didn’t Break Any Rule

UCLA basketball Coach Jim Harrick, admitting he’s been through “a trying time,” was cleared Monday by the Pacific-10 Conference of violating NCAA rules in the sale of a car he owned to the sister of a top recruit.

The conference, the university and the NCAA all looked into the sale of a car by Harrick’s son, Glenn, to Lisa Davis-Hodoh on Sept. 20, UCLA athletic director Peter T. Dalis said at a news conference.

“The Pacific-10 Conference has determined, based upon the information obtained during its investigation, that no NCAA rules violation occurred when Glenn Harrick sold a 1991 Chevrolet S10 Blazer to Lisa Davis-Hodoh, sister of prospective athlete Baron Davis,” the Pac-10 said in a statement. “Central to this decision was the determination that the car was sold at a fair market price.”

Glenn Harrick received $5,000 for the vehicle, which had more than 112,000 miles at the time of the sale.

Dalis said Monday the car had been appraised by three independent sources, with two estimating the value at $4,500 and the other at less than $5,000.

The sale came two days after Baron Davis, the woman’s younger brother, verbally committed to play for the Bruins.

Davis is a highly recruited 6-foot-1 point guard who began his senior year at Santa Monica Crossroads High last month.

The fact that Harrick has been cleared means Davis is eligible to play for the Bruins in the 1997-98 season should he sign a national letter of intent with the school. The fall signing period begins next month.

“I want to express my gratitude to UCLA and the Pac-10 officials for conducting a thorough inquiry,” Harrick said. “I really appreciate the speed.

“Now, it’s time for me to concentrate on a very, very difficult season coming up.”

Harrick, 58, begins his ninth season as UCLA’s head coach next month, The Bruins won the NCAA championship at the conclusion of the 1994-95 season, their first in 20 years. Last March, UCLA was eliminated by Princeton in the first round of the tournament.

Harrick admitted he “probably used poor judgment” in not immediately telling Dalis about the sale once he learned of it from his son.

“I am required to tell violations,” Harrick said. “In hindsight, you wish you had [told Dalis]. [But] there were no violations. I still wish I had told him.

“It’s been a trying time.”

Harrick said he didn’t believe recruiting had been affected by the investigation.

The sale came to light two weeks ago, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The investigation began almost immediately.

Dalis expressed relief, gratitude and vindication that no violations were found, and said no internal sanctions had been taken against Harrick.

“I told Jim I felt he should have come forward,” Dalis said. “It was very disappointing to me [that Harrick didn’t immediately inform him of the sale]. [But] the coach didn’t sell the car, the son did.”

When asked if it was possible action will be taken against Harrick by the university, Dalis replied, “Oh, sure. There are a lot of ways to get an employee’s attention.”

Dalis said there was no timetable in the matter.

Though the Chevy Blazer, bought in 1990, was always registered in his father’s name, Glenn Harrick has said it was his car “from the day it was bought,” and that he got his father’s signature on the title when he recently began thinking of selling it.

Dalis said Monday that Jim Harrick signed over the car early in the summer. According to DMV procedures, the registered owner must sign over the title.

Glenn Harrick has said he “didn’t even think (the transaction) could be an NCAA violation, didn’t think twice. I had no idea.”

Glenn Harrick didn’t return a phone call Monday. Jim Harrick said Glenn and his wife became parents of a daughter Sunday morning.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Pacific-10 Conference statement, issued Monday:

The Pacific-10 Conference has determined, based upon the information obtained during its investigation, that no NCAA rules violation occurred when Glenn Harrick sold a 1991 Chevrolet S10 Blazer to Lisa Davis-Hodoh, sister of prospective student-athlete Baron Davis. Central to this decision was the determination that the car was sold at a fair market price.