Harrick Doesn’t Graduate With Class

So Jim Harrick “Still Bears a Grudge” [Dec. 4] and wonders who UCLA is going to hire “knowing they fired four guys in 13 years.” Well Jim, Billie Moore is no guy, and after early success at Cal State Fullerton and UCLA in the early days of the ascendancy of women’s basketball, she let the Bruins slide into mediocrity, protected by women’s Athletic Director Judith Holland.

As for Walt Hazzard and Larry Farmer, does Jim suggest that they shouldn’t have been let go? It was Jim who got the job when Walt was terminated. No question, Jim had significant success at UCLA, but, as nobody seems to have mentioned in the spate of post-firing commentary, Jim successfully signed only one player with starting potential--Jelani McCoy--in the two years since the Bruins won it all, none in the full year of recruiting after the title season.

Jim, you still don’t get it, do you? You had the arrogance to not only bring yourself down with your deceptions, you had the bad manners to try to recruit someone else--assistant coach Michael Holton--to back up your lies. Don’t blame Pete Dalis for your firing, blame yourself.

ARNOLD LESTER

Rancho Palos Verdes