THE HARRICK QUOTES

After admitting that he misunderstood what constituted a shot-clock violation after UCLA’s 86-84 loss in overtime to Michigan at Tucson in the second round of the 1993 NCAA tournament:

“I guarantee you, football coaches don’t know any of the rules. The rules are very intricate. I thought I knew the rule, and I was very, very close to knowing the rule. I’m sure [Michigan Coach] Steve Fisher didn’t know the rule.”

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Asked if he had been outcoached by retiring Pete Carril after Princeton had upset defending NCAA champion UCLA, 43-41, in the first round of the 1996 tournament:

“I’m not so sure that you’re really qualified to understand what coaching is, to ask that question.”

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At the news conference April 12, 1988, at which he was officially announced as UCLA coach, a job that was turned down by Mike Krzyzewski, Larry Brown and Jim Valvano, among others:

“I’ve always said the single most important ingredient in any basketball program is the head coach. . . . I used this in our interview and I believe it: UCLA plus Jim Harrick gives you a sound, solid program.”

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After a 104-78 loss at North Carolina in December 1988, a game in which he was ejected for receiving two technical fouls:

“I’ve always had a saying, ‘Good officials call the game and bad officials call technicals.’ ”

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On USC football Coach Larry Smith, who resigned under fire in January 1993:

“You’re always concerned about your future, most definitely. I think you become very concerned. Always. He had three years left, so really, years on the contract--to them--weren’t very important. Looking at what Larry Smith accomplished--three Rose Bowls and five bowl games in six years, with the increased academic requirements at SC, with the cuts in scholarships--there seems to be no sensitivity from administrators to coaching today. Whatever happened to sharing ideas and sharing goals, communicating? From a coach to a coach, I certainly understand what Larry Smith is going through. I have great empathy for him.”

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On the subject of his contract status in 1992, when he had two seasons left on his contract and was being paid about $380,000 while other coaches of top college programs like Arizona’s Lute Olson ($800,000) were making considerably more:

“It’s not a primary thing, but it’s certainly a secondary thing. I worked 19 years before I made $25,000. So I don’t worry about that so much. But you’d hope they’d like what you did and compensate you according to how the top guys in our league are being compensated. That’s not true right now. My only reservation is money. I’ve beaten Bobby Knight, Lute Olson and Denny Crum this year. You want me to beat these guys? Of course you do. But you don’t want to pay me what these guys are getting.”

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After UCLA had completed a sweep of Arizona and Arizona State on the road during its 1994-95 national championship season:

“Lute said it couldn’t be done.”