Coaching Candidates Surface

Names will be whispered and dropped, resumes will pour in, and UCLA Athletic Director Peter T. Dalis says he is sure he will have plenty of advice to choose from as he begins his search for a permanent Bruin basketball coach.

Dalis said Monday he has been far too busy dealing with the repercussions of the school’s firing of Jim Harrick to actively begin his pursuit, but said a few familiar names are already on his mind.

As part of his first stage of fact-finding, Dalis said he will seek the recommendations of a handful of people, including Lakers’ executive Jerry West, Kansas Coach Roy Williams, Louisville Coach Denny Crum, Arizona Coach Lute Olson and Stanford Coach Mike Montgomery.

Of those, only Montgomery is believed to be a potential candidate for the job, and along with former UCLA assistant and current Pepperdine Coach Lorenzo Romar, is considered by UCLA sources to be one of Dalis’ early favorites.

If Montgomery is interested, and Stanford allows him to discuss the job with UCLA, would Dalis consider him a top contender?

“I’m not sure about that,” Dalis said late last week. “I’ve talked to Mike over the years, I know him. . . .

“I’d like to get his perception on other people out in the field. I did that with Denny Crum when I hired Jim Harrick [in 1988].”

During his conversations with Crum in 1988, Dalis also apparently let it be known that Crum could have the job if he wanted it. Crum, whose program has been touched by NCAA investigations in recent years, is not considered a candidate for this opening.

And two knowledgeable sources said Utah’s Rick Majerus, a rumored potential UCLA candidate, is not in the running to coach the Bruins.

UCLA will be led for the rest of the season by Steve Lavin, who is also considered a candidate for the permanent job.

No matter how it develops, Dalis said he is glad he does not have to hurry--unlike when Bruin football Coach Terry Donahue abruptly retired in December, triggering the super-heated negotiations with Northwestern Coach Gary Barnett in the days leading up to the Wildcats’ appearance in the Rose Bowl. Barnett eventually turned down the UCLA job, and Dalis hired Bob Toledo.

“In this business, you always have people that you think you would like to talk to if there was a coaching change, how realistic that list is, you never know,” Dalis said.

“And I’m going to take my time on this one because I’ve got time. I want to be able to talk to people during the season. This isn’t trying to hire a football coach between Dec. 25 and Jan. 4.”

Meanwhile, Dalis denied Monday that Lavin was the coach asked by Harrick to lie to the administration about his involvement in the Oct. 11 recruiting dinner that led to Harrick’s firing.

“It’s not Steve Lavin,” Dalis said.

According to several sources, and contrary to what other sources have said, the assistant coach asked by Harrick to mislead the investigation was Michael Holton. According to the sources, Holton’s wife LaShell and Harrick’s wife Sally were added to the list of people at the dinner to hide an NCAA violation, though neither actually attended.

“At no time did Coach Harrick put me in a position where I would’ve been forced to lie,” Lavin said Monday.

Also, UCLA said that Charles O’Bannon and Cameron Dollar, the two players not named on the original expense report whose presence at the dinner was a violation, have made restitution and have been officially cleared for the season by the NCAA without suspension.

The Bruins, who open their season Nov. 20 in the first round of the preseason National Invitational Tournament against Tulsa, play an exhibition against Athletes in Action tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion.