Coaches Group Calls for Boycott

The Black Coaches Assn. wants prospective recruits and assistant coaches to stay away from South Carolina because the school ignored the group’s recommendation for a more open coaching search.

The group’s director, Floyd Keith, said that South Carolina never contacted the BCA. The group sent the school search guidelines before Steve Spurrier was hired to replace Lou Holtz last month.

“There was an announcement and a hire,” Keith said. “That was so fast that a jackrabbit couldn’t have had a family between all that.”

Athletic Director Mike McGee said in a statement there were “unusual and extraordinary circumstances that we faced” when Holtz decided with several weeks left in the season to step down.

“We had the opportunity to replace an accomplished and national-championship coach with another,” McGee said. “The window for that to occur was clearly uncertain. It certainly was not the normal type of coaching transition that an institution faces.”

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Notre Dame’s outgoing president criticized the decision to fire Tyrone Willingham after three seasons, saying he was surprised that the coach was not given more time to try to succeed.

“I’m a good soldier and in times of transition, people can disagree,” the Sports Business Daily quoted Father Edward Malloy as saying at a sports conference in New York. “I don’t think there is a lack of goodwill or that anybody else is to be blamed for a racist decision or anything else. I just think there was a lot of pressure in the works.”

University spokesman Matt Storin issued a statement saying that there was “debate and disagreement” over the firing, and that Malloy deferred because of his pending retirement on June 30.

Notre Dame is preparing to meet Friday with Buffalo Bill offensive coordinator and former Irish quarterback Tom Clements, 51, about its vacancy.

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Michigan will be without defensive end Larry Harrison Jr. in the Rose Bowl after he was arrested in Ann Arbor, Mich., on one count of indecent exposure.

Harrison, a starter in six of 11 games, was suspended by Coach Lloyd Carr after the arrest. He is 12th on the team in tackles with 24.

Michigan also could be without starting offensive lineman Adam Stenavich when it plays Texas in Pasadena. Stenavich, an All-Big Ten selection, was arrested Nov. 27 in Marshfield, Wis., and accused of disorderly conduct.

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Kyle Whittingham ended two days of agonizing by accepting an offer to become Utah’s coach. Whittingham, the Utes’ defensive coordinator, also was offered the coaching job at rival Brigham Young, his alma mater. He replaces Urban Meyer, who was hired last week by Florida.... Florida linebacker Taurean Charles was charged with aggravated battery and culpable negligence-infliction of injury from a fight at an off-campus party in June. Charles, a sophomore, was suspended indefinitely in July after he was arrested for allegedly punching a Florida student in the head and throwing a beer keg on his face at the party.

Southern Methodist gave Coach Phil Bennett a two-year contract extension through the 2008 season. Bennett is 6-29 in three years as coach.... Ron McBride, who was fired as Utah coach after the 2002 season, was introduced as Weber State’s new coach. McBride, 65, was 88-63 at Utah and led the Utes to six bowl games.