Harrick Hired to Coach in ABA

Jim Harrick, who was forced to resign last year at Georgia amid accusations of improper payments to players and academic fraud, was hired Tuesday as coach of the Vancouver expansion team in the American Basketball Assn.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” Harrick said in a statement.

Harrick was fired from UCLA in 1996 -- a year after winning an NCAA championship -- for lying about an expense report. He also was accused of changing players’ grades and arranging for players to receive lodging, cars and money from boosters when he coached at Rhode Island.

Harrick, who also was a coach at Pepperdine, has a career record of 470-235.

Pro Football

Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman was suspended by the NFL without pay for three games and fined an additional two games’ pay for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

Pittman was indicted last June in Arizona on two counts of aggravated assault for intentionally ramming his sport-utility vehicle into a car carrying his wife, 2-year-old son and the couple’s baby sitter.

*

Tampa Bay receiver Keenan McCardell was a no-show at a mandatory minicamp because he wants a raise from the $2.5 million he is to earn this season.... New York Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey had surgery on his right foot but should be ready for the start of the season. Shockey had a screw inserted into the foot.

College Football

Prized Miami recruit Willie Williams pleaded no contest to felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor battery and was ordered to pay restitution totaling about $2,800 for his actions during a January recruiting visit to Florida.

Williams, a linebacker, was placed on supervised probation for one year for each charge and the probation periods will run concurrently. Williams will not have a felony conviction on his record if meets the terms of his probation.

Water Polo

The world champion and top-ranked U.S. women’s team will take its month-plus unbeaten streak into the FINA World League Super Final, which starts today at the Charter All-Digital Aquatic Centre in Long Beach.

Among the other squads in the eight-team tournament will be No. 2 Italy, No. 3 Russia, No. 4 Canada and No. 5 Hungary. Also included is the 2000 Olympic gold medalist, Australia, which is ranked seventh. Play begins at 4 p.m. with Hungary vs. Italy. The United States plays No. 13 Kazakhstan at 8:45 p.m.

The final is Sunday at 8:30 p.m.

Miscellany

Cross-country skier Christian Hoffmann of Austria was awarded a 2002 Olympic gold medal for the 30-kilometer event that originally was given to Johann Muehlegg of Spain, who was disqualified for using drugs.

*

Stephanie Kono and Carling Cho each shot three-under-par 69 to share the lead at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at Williamsburg, Va. Defending champion Michelle Wie leads a group of eight who trail the leaders by a stroke.

*

Former Brickyard 400 champion Bill Elliott, 48, will attempt to qualify for this year’s race. The Brickyard would be his second NASCAR Nextel Cup start of the season. He raced in April at Texas Motor Speedway. Elliott also was in the non-points Bud Shootout at Daytona in February.

*

Phoenix Coyote assistant coach Pat Conacher stepped down to become the coach of the Utah Grizzlies of the American Hockey League, the team’s top minor league affiliate.