Lamar: Holmes Hired at Lamar

Holmes Hired at Lamar: Lamar head coach Billy Tubbs has announced the hiring of assistant coach Kermit Holmes. Holmes played for Tubbs at Oklahoma from 1989-91 and earned team MVP honors in 1991 after averaging 14.8 points per game and leading the team in rebounding at 9.3 rebounds per game. Holmes has been coaching since 2000 with the Athletes First AAU team and Midwest City (Okla.) High School. As a player, Holmes played in the CBA for seven seasons and played internationally in France, Mexico, and Turkey. [8/10/05]

Baylor: Former Assistant Claims Breach

Former Assistant Claims Breach: Abar Rouse, the former Baylor assistant coach who brought down the scandal-plagued Dave Bliss era at Baylor, is now suing his attorney, claiming a violation of attorney-client privilege. Rouse, now an assistant coach at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, alleges that Waco attorney LaNelle McNamara violated their compact by releasing copies of his audio recordings to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In the summer of 2003, Rouse secretly recorded Bliss telling some players to falsely portray Dennehy as a drug dealer. At that time Dennehy had been missing for five weeks, and teammate Carlton Dotson was being questioned in Maryland regarding his disappearance. Bliss resigned two weeks later, after Dennehy’s body was found outside Waco. New head coach Scott Drew did not retain Rouse for his coaching staff. Last month, Dotson pleaded guilty to killing Dennehy and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Rouse alleges that McNamara acted negligently and is seeking $1.5 million in damages. Since the incident, Rouse has lost income and has had difficulty getting coaching positions because of his alleged reputation as a snitch. [8/10/05]

Northwestern: Wildcat Appears in a Different Court

Wildcat Appears in a Different Court: Former Northwestern guard Brandon Lee was arraigned yesterday on charges of burglary and credit card fraud. Lee and former NU student Jessica L. McElroy allegedly stole credit cards and electronics from the Foster-Walker dormitory in July and then used the credit cards to make fraudulent online purchases. Being geniuses, the merchandise was then sent to McElroy’s apartment, where postal inspectors recovered the goods. Both are currently out on $25,000 bail and are scheduled to appear in Cook County Circuit Court in Skokie Sept. 6. Lee, who was released from the Northwestern squad last week, got into trouble earlier this season, getting suspended twice for violations of team rules. [8/10/05]

Arizona: Wild Wildcat Weekend

Wild Wildcat Weekend: The University of Arizona has announced the lineups for the upcoming Lute Olson All-Star Classic Weekend in Tucson, scheduled for Aug. 14. Wildcat alumni attending include current NBA players Gilbert Arenas (Wizards), Richard Jefferson (Nets), Andre Iguodala (76ers), Damon Stoudamire (Grizzlies), Salim Stoudamire (Hawks), Jason Terry (Mavericks) and Luke Walton (Lakers). Ex-players such as Steve Kerr and Sean Elliott will also participate, and former guard Jason Gardner will become the fourth player in school history to have his jersey (No. 22) retired, joining Mike Bibby, Kerr and Elliott. [8/10/05]

Ohio: Former Ohio Big Man Killed

Former Ohio Big Man Killed: Former Ohio University two-sport athlete Fred Cluff was killed in a two-vehicle accident Monday morning. He was 59. Cluff, a 6-7 hoops forward and right-handed pitcher on the baseball squad, played three seasons for the Bobcats from 1965-1968 and averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per contest as a starter over his career. He pitched in 11 games in two seasons, missing the 1968 season because of injuries. Cluff’s wife and daughter were hospitalized in the accident, and his two grandchildren were treated and released. [8/10/05]

Kentucky: Wildcat Accused of Rape

Wildcat Accused of Rape: A Lexington, Ky., woman filed a criminal complaint stating that she was raped by a former Kentucky basketball player at the university’s Wildcat Lodge in April. The woman is accusing the former player of drugging her and then raping her on the afternoon of April 20. A police spokesperson said the suspect told police that he and the woman had consensual sex. The suspect’s identity has not been revealed, however the agent for former Wildcat Chuck Hayes said his client has been notified of the investigation.

The woman first came forward in late April, then refused to cooperate in early May, resulting in the investigation being dropped. However, in early July, she came forward, and Lexington Police were able to interview her, resulting in 300 pages of transcription. Fayette County Attorney Margaret Kannensohn said she expect to have the case reviewed and a recommendation on probable cause within the next week. A judge will then determine if the case will proceed. [8/9/05]

Creighton: Bluejays Name Muhleisen Manager

Bluejays Name Muhleisen Manager: Creighton head coach Dana Altman has announced the hiring of Jake Muhleisen as a graduate manager. Muhleisen, a Lincoln, Neb., native, spent the past four seasons as a starter for Nebraska and graduated in May with a degree in Finance. He’ll be taking classes toward his MBA at Creighton this season. The first three-year captain in Nebraska history, Muhleisen started all but two games of his injury-plagued career. He is a two-time first-team Academic all-Big 12 selection. [8/9/05]

Florida State: Seminoles’ “Coach” Pavy Passes

Seminoles’ ‘Coach’ Pavy Passes: Florida State basketball pioneer James Samuel “Coach” Pavy has died at the age of 82. Pavy scored the first points for Florida State’s men’s basketball program in 1946, the year it changed from an all-women’s school to co-ed. Pavy, a World War II veteran, went on to play three seasons for the Seminoles. He coached four high school teams to Florida state championships in ten seasons and then spent 32 years as a coach at Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla. [8/9/05]

Pennsylvania: Former Quaker Returns to Bench

Former Quaker Returns to Bench: Pennsylvania head coach Fran Dunphy has announced the hiring of Shawn Trice as the Quakers’ new volunteer assistant coach. Trice, a 1995 Penn grad and two-time All-Ivy player, has spent the past seven years as a sports coordinator for the YMCA in Detroit. Trice averaged 7.7 points and six rebounds per game in his career as a center/forward for Penn and was part of Penn’s three undefeated Ivy seasons, including the 1994 team that upset No. 6-seeded Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament. Last season’s volunteer assistant, Matt Langel, was promoted to a paid position to replace Gil Jackson, who left to become the head coach at Howard. [8/9/05]

UNLV: Rebels to Honor Tark

Rebels to Honor Tark: University of Nevada – Las Vegas officials have announced that the basketball court at the Thomas and Mack Center will be named in honor of former head coach Jerry Tarkanian. “Tark the Shark,” coached the Rebels for 19 seasons from 1973-1992, and had a 509-105 (.829) record during that time, never having a losing season. Tark’s UNLV teams advanced to the NCAA Final Four four times, and won the 1990 national championship. Tarkanian posted a 729-201 record over 31 seasons, with the seventh-highest winning percentage and 12th most victories. Tarkanian was the second fastest coach to reach 700 career wins, behind only Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp. The court will be dedicated Nov. 26, during the Rebels’ game against Nevada. [8/9/05]

Davis: Stewart Joins NABC Ethics Committee [8/9/05]

Stewart Joins NABC Ethics Committee: UC-Davis head coach Gary Stewart has been added to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Ethics committee. Stewart led the D-II powerhouse Aggies into D-I two seasons ago. Active in the NABC during his 20-year coaching career, Stewart was previously a member of the NABC Assistant Coaches Board of Directors. The committee, which was created 18 months ago to identify and solve college basketball coaching issues, consists of 18 coaches, including Kansas’ Bill Self and North Carolina’s Roy Williams. [8/9/05]

Northwestern: Two Wildcats Won’t Return

Two Wildcats Won’t Return: Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody announced that Brandon Lee and Gary Lee will not return to the team next season. Brandon Lee, who played in 10 games as a freshman in 2004-05, is facing criminal charges in connection with a series of burglaries at a school dormitory after being arrested Monday. He was charged with four counts of residential burglary and four counts of unlawful use of a credit card. He was released on $25,000 bond and has an Aug. 10 court date. Gary Lee had academic struggles while at Northwestern and did not play any games as a freshman in 2004-05. [8/8/05]

USC: Floyd Fills Out Staff

Floyd Fills Out Staff: New USC head coach Tim Floyd announced his staff, which will consist of Phil Johnson, Rudy Hackett and DeMarlo Slocum. Johnson was most recently head coach at San Jose State for three seasons, his second stint as the school’s head coach. He and Floyd have past history, as he was an assistant coach under Floyd for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. Hackett, an AP All-American at Syracuse in 1975 when his team reached the Final Four, was most recently assistant coach and dean of discipline at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif. Slocum was an assistant coach at Dixie Junior College in St. George, Utah last season after two seasons as an assistant at Georgia Southern. [8/8/05]

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: Muriel Killed in Car Accident

Muriel Killed in Car Accident: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi player Jeffrey Muriel was one of four people killed in a car accident in Ft. Worth. Investigators said that a pickup truck crossed lanes and crashed into a Chevy Caprice, which Muriel was driving along with three passengers, all of whom were also killed. A rising sophomore, Muriel played in 18 games last season, starting six. [8/8/05]

Florida A&M: Rattlers Cited for Lack of Institutional Control

Rattlers Cited for Lack of Institutional Control: Florida A&M was cited for a lack of institutional control by the NCAA after numerous violations were found in an investigation. In all, the NCAA’s notice of allegations listed 184 instances where athletes participated without meeting NCAA eligibility requirements, most of which occurred under former athletic director Jonathan Evans. The school can review the charges and respond up until September 5, and the NCAA Committee on Infractions is scheduled to hear the case during its October 14-16 meetings. [8/8/05]

Marquette: Panaggio Joins Golden Eagles’ Staff

Panaggio Joins Golden Eagles’ Staff: Marquette hired Dan Panaggio as an assistant coach after four seasons as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. The native of Rochester, New York has head coaching experience in the CBA, as he was head coach of the Quad City Thunder for nine seasons and won championships in 1994 and 1998 before spending the 1999-2000 season as an assistant coach at Indiana. [8/8/05]

Hofstra: Pecora Will be at Hofstra Longer

Pecora Will be at Hofstra Longer: Hofstra has extended head coach Tom Pecora’s contract through the 2009-10 season, as he was given a new five-year contract. Under the fourth-year head coach, the Pride has improved its record in the Colonial Athletic Association every year, culminating thus far with its 12-6 mark this past season. Sparked by wins in their first nine games, the Pride went 21-9 this past season and earned a berth in the NIT. [8/8/05]

NCAA: Brand’s Contract Extended

Brand’s Contract Extended: The NCAA Executive Committee has voted to extend the contract of NCAA President Myles Brand. The current vote was for two more years, then on an annual basis for the indefinite future, running through December 31, 2009. Brand first took office on January 1, 2003, and the Executive Committee can exercise an option to extend it further as early as 2008. [8/7/05]

NCAA: Mangiapane Passes On

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Mangiapane Passes On: Long-time college basketball referee and former New York Knick Frank Mangiapane died at age 79. His wife said that a ruptured abdominal aorta was the cause of death. Mangiapane played with the original New York Knicks in 1946 after a career at New York University that included two trips to the NCAA Tournament. After his playing days, he was a college basketball referee in the New York area for over twenty years. [8/7/05]

NCAA: Mascot Ban Begins in February

Mascot Ban Begins in February: The NCAA will begin its ban on Indian mascots in its tournaments in February of 2006. The executive committee decided it did not have the authority to take further action against the schools. Florida State, one of 18 schools with mascots the NCAA deems “hostile or abusive”, is threatening legal action. Major college football teams would not be affected since the Bowl Championship Series, not the NCAA, controls the postseason tournament in that sport. [8/7/05]