News Scrapbook 1982-1984

LOS ANGELES TIMES JAN 1 3 1983 University of San iego Gets One-Vear Probation By STEVE DOLAN, Times Staff Writer

USD Coach Quits After Investigation (Continued from C-1) not permitted to award football

LOS ANGELES TIMES

SAf)I DIEGO UNION JAi~ 1 3 t J U D"s Williams Resigns After Investigation

super. He is not the reason I am re- signing. He has been behind me all the way on things." Williams said he will make a deci- sion on his future early next week. Cahill, meanwhile, said he feels handcuffed by the NCAA's inaction. "We are under strict orders from the NCAA not to release anything until they do. But it is getting to the point where the secret is no longer a secret. '•I told them at (the NCAA's) con- vention here it is becoming a prob- lem, that the coach has resigned, and I am not going to deny that because it has nothing to do with the NCAA. "But we feel handcuffed because that is all we can say at this point." Cahill said he expects the NCAA to make an official statement some- llme next week. After that, he said, the university will make a state- ment. Williams came to USD as a defen- sive coordinator in 1974 He became head football coach in September 1975. The overall record of the Toreros under Williams is 34-36-1. He was named District 8 coach of the year in 1978. His best season was 9-1 in 1981. That record enabled the school to get CBS television exposure last season during the NFL strike.

about the results of his investigation because he signed a statement with the NCAA that he would not. He said, however, that the NCAA did not con- duct an independent investigation and will base its findings solely on evidence supplied by the university. "I can confirm that our coach has resigned and that the position now is open," Cahill said. He said he already has received several telephone in- quiries from potential applicants. Cahill said he did not ask for Wil- liams· resignation. "We never had to cross that bridge," he said. Reached at home. Williams con- firmed that he was not asked to re- sign but that he will, officially, Satur- day. "It wa a combination of things," he aid. "I really had a good experi- ence (al USD). but I think for my own personal benefit and for the school, too, that it is better that I move on. "There comes a time to stay and a lime to move on It is now a time to move on." Published reports claim that last spring a USD football player showed Williams a prom1sory note signed by an assistant coach guaranteeing the athlete a loan and making it pos ible for him to remain in school. USD is an NCAA Division III school and is

scholarships. The student did not take the loan and transferred to another college, the report said. The assistant coach was dismissed. But this incident led to an investi- gation by athletic director Cahill cor- roborating the assistant coach's note and also turning up evidence that Williams, himself, had made three small but illegal loans to players durmg a three-year period from 1978 to 1980. In each case, the report said, the Joan recipient did not have enough money for rent or food and that Willliams was personally motivated by the athlete's plight. But for that, reports claim, the NCAA has decided to place USD on a one-year football probation, denying the school's appearance in bowl games or on television. Had Williams stayed at USD during the probation, it was reported, he would not have been permitted to recruit players. "I can't comment on lhe details be- cause of the NCAA," Williams said, "but as far as any wrong doing or anything like that, I don't feel like I have done anything wrong from a moral standpoint." He said he has been fairly treated by Cahill. "Father has just been

JAN l 3 198:

USO Takes On Denver Tonight J<'rnm u 'l'ime.~ Staff Writer 'l'he Univer,;ity of San Diego basketball team pletes it.~ nonconrcrencc schedule tonighL with · game against Denver at the USO Sports C le~. . . rnm forward Mike Whitmarsh, who was miured m the 'l'orel'o's win over Oklahoma Christian College a week ago, 1s doubtful. Whitmarsh haR a hruiscd hip and strained shoulder ligaments. Ile averages 10.4 points and four rchound~ per game. Ile did not play in USD's last gamr, an 88-76 loss lo the University of Nevada Reno. USDis6-7. Denver (11-4) is a Div1s1on II school in basketba!l. The Pione~rs are led by 6-8 center Mark Langkamp.

SAN DIEGO-The University of San Diego football team has been placed on probation for one year because of an NCAA rule violation. Coach Bill Williams, who re- signed in the aftermath, admitted that he loaned money out or his own pocket to three players from 1977- 79. An assistant coach was also fired last spring for giving a player a promissary note, it was learned. The investigation was conducted by Rev. Patrick Cahill, the USD athletic director, who reported his findings to the NCAA. An official announcement will come Wednes- day from the NCAA Office. Williams said that the three play. ers came to him when they had no money for rent or food. According to Williams, each player was given "a small sum" of money. "~ know I broke an NCAA rule," ,

Williams said "From a moral standpoint, I don't feel bad about helpmg them. In each case, the kids came to me as a friend. The sad thing is, 1t would have been fine 1f I was just their friend. The fact that I am a coach made it so that It was not fine." Under terms of the probation, USO will not be ehg1ble for postsea- son play m 1983. The Toreros will also be prohibited from playing on television. If Williams had re- mained, h would not have been permitted to recruit off campus. USD had made its television de- but last season during the NFL strike. The Toreros Jost to Occiden- tal College, 34-20, ma game nation- ally televised by CBS. "We wouldn-t have been on television next year, anyway, be- Please see USD, Pare 10

U D Conllnuetl from First Pare

"Nobody told me to resign," Williams said. "I was not ovrrly pleased, but I wa.11 not surprised, with the effect this had Qn the hierarchy, which does not include Father Cahill. The hierarchy is so concerned about the image, I can understand that." Cahill said that he "never crossed the bridge" or needing to determine whether to fire Williams. "We certainly do not condone or ever put up with violation of NCAA rules," he said. "This was strictly an internal investigation. The NCAA never came to campus. We self-reported to the NCAA. Because there were violations, the NCAA Had to follow procedures and issue penalties."

cause the NFL won't be on strike, ' William said. "Plus, I didn't recruit off campus. The players all came here when they were recruited," Cahill began the investigation last spring when he di:scovered that the assistant couch had given out a promissary note. The player Involved never look the loan and ultimately transferred from USD. "'l'he kid had been trying to transfer but couldn't get a transcript because he owed the school money," Wil- liams said. "They (ired the coach on the spot. Father Calull explained it to me. I then explained exactly what I had done in 1977-79." When contacted, Cahill was unable to <-laborate on what WIiiiams said. • "We are in a bind right now," C11hill said. "We are under written order not to release anything until the NCAA releases a statement. The secret now is that there is no secret." USO, a Division III school, does not offer athletic • cholarships. Student tuition at the school is approxi- mately $8,000 a year. . "The kids came lo me as a final resort, so I helped them out," Williams said. "It is pretty expensive at our place. Thal makes it hard to survive sometimes. I felt pel'llOnally responsible for the kids. I am the one who got them to go there." In the past seven years, Williams was able to piece together what had heen a faltertng program. The 1'oreros had just one winning season in the seven years before Williams, but Williams built the team into a winner the past four years. Williams was named District 8 Coach of the Year in 1978 and led the Toreros to a 9-1 record m 1981. His overall record with the team was 34-36. However, the violations led lo his resignation. USO, a Catholic institution, ha:s always been very concerned about it's overall image. 48 The Daily Californian • East San Diego Coul JAN 1 4 1983 ~DIGEST . .. . . - LOCAL NEWS USO LOSES/ The University of San Diego gave away a basketball game Thursday night in the Ti)reros' gym. USD led the University of Denver 51-4\ with 2:35 to play. The Toreros failed to score anotheipoint. Denver took advantage of some poor shootilll by USO to steal a 54-51 victory. Denver's Pionee improved to 12-4, while USD slipped to 6-8. Guard, ich Davis led the Toreros with 20 points. USO aig.· . la.yed without its second-leading scorer Mike WhitmMs~ He injured a shoulder and his back when he was low-bridged during a game nine days ago. USD lost another starter, Robby Roberts, Thursday before the game was five minutes old. Roberts was poked in the eye. Both Whimarsh and Roberts are expected to return to the lineup when the Toreros open WCAC play by hosting St. Mary's Jan. 21.

The Daily Californian D East San Diego Co

JAtl l 3 1981

USD f oothall coach quits amid probe SAN DIEGO tAP\ - The head football coach at the enforcement for the association, said he could neither conrirm nor deny the newspaper reports.

$8,000 a year. The player never took the loan, The Tribune said, and transferred to another school. The assistant coach, who The Tribune said acted without the knowledge of Wil- liams, was immediately dismissed. During the school's investigation Cahill found that Williams had made three small, but illegal, loans to a player or players between 1978 and 1980, the paper said. In each case, the loans were made because the student: athlete had no money for food or rent, and W1lhams motives were personal. "I understand the NCAA's point. but I wouldn't say I've done anything wrong from a moral standpoint,·· Williams said. Williams had a 34-36-1 overall record at USO and was named the District 8 coach of the year after he led the Toreros to a 7-3 record in 1978. His best season was in 1981, when USO finished with a 9-1 record.

EVENING TRIBUNE JAN 1 4. 198l

University of San Diego has resigned after an investiga- tion by school oflic1als turned up evidence of alleged illegal loan to athletes, according to newspaper reports BIii Williams a head coach at USO since 1975, told The Tribune Wedne~day that he submitted his resignation to the. chool, and that the resignation takes effect Saturday. "I hav resigned," Williams said. "I'm not t.ryi~.g to be evasive, but that's all I have to say al this point Results of the school's mvestigation have been turned over to the National Collegiate Athletic Associ~tion. The ;:,!CAA is expected to make an official determination on pen lh next week Th b, citing an unidentifed source, aid the 'C I dy decided to place the private school's foot program one-year probation, proh1bitmg appearence on tel vision and bowl games. The CAA 1s holding its annual convention in San Diego this week. But Hale McMenamin, assistant director of

According to The Tribune, the results of the investiga- tion uncovered evidence of iUegal loans made by an assistant coach and then by Williams. "We are not talking huge figures," said the Rev. Patrick Cahill, USO athletic director. "And that 1s why I feel so bad, in a sense, because things are going to get out and make things sound a lot worse than they are " Cahill told the San Diego Union that he could not talk about the results of the investigation because he signed an agreeement with the NCAA that he would not. The Tribune said .. sources indicate" the matter arose last spring when a football player showed Cahill a promissory note signed by an assistant coach. The note, in effect, guaranteed a loan to the player, who said he needed the money to stay in school. Smee \.:SD 1s a Division III NCAA school, it is unable to award football scholarships, although tuition is about

Denver is ready as USD falters By Rick Davis Tribune Sportswriter Pete Caruso came into last night's basketball game against the University of San Diego as the third-leading scorer on the University of Denver team. A 6-foot-5 senior forward, he showed solid, respectable figures: 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. What transpired in the 39 minutes of play that followed made it an evening to forget. Fortunately for the 6-foot-5 senior forward, there was a 40th minute though, just enough time to make up for all that had gone wrong before that. . "~id I score the winning basket? Oh, yeah, I guess I did, remembered Caruso after the Pioneers had pulled out a 54-51 victory over the Toreros in a nonconference affair at the USD Sports Center. "I ended up fouling out. I didn't score much. It was one of my worst games. But we won and I did contribute something at the end, so I'm happy about that." Caruso's. driving basket with 43 seconds left capped a come~ack m which the visitors, helped by some poor shot selectton and free-throw shooting by the hosts, overcame a seven-point deficit (51-44) in the final 2:35. Before his late heroics, Caruso had registered six points, three re- bounds and four fouls. "Denver played well at the end and deserved to win " said USD Coach Jim Brovelli, whose club fell to a 6~8 record heading into West Coast Athletic Conference play next week. The Toreros missed the front end of four one-and-one situations in the final eight minutes. They also had four shots after Caruso's basket produced a 52-51 Denver lead, but missed them all. Two free throws by Mike Wilson with two seconds left netted the final result. "My players were patient down the stretch. They wail- ed for the good shots and the good shots dropped" noted Pioneer Coach Floyd Theard, whose NAIA club is' 12-4. The winners finished with 50 percent (24 of 48) field- goal shooting and added a perfect 6-for-6 effort on free throws. Meanwhile, the Toreros hit 39 percent (19 of 49) from the field and 13 of 24 on free throws. The absence of starters Mike Whitmarsh (out with shoulder and back injuries) and Robby Roberts (who left the floor after being poked in the eye less than five min- utes into the game) hurt. Whitmarsh is averaging 10.4 points and Roberts 9.6 points a game. And each has been hitting 50 percent on field goals. "Maybe that's part of the problem," said Brovelli. "Maybe the other guys are looking over their shoulders for Robby and Mike. Or they're waiting for a teammate to do the job."

•

SAN DIEGO UNION

--=JAtl 1 4 1983,~~-----~---~ Toreros Lose

tries and missed the front ends of four one-and-ones in

six free throw opportuni- lies, but made them all.

Denver hit half its 4.8 field goal tries, the Toreros shot

The Toreros Lose Lead, Then Game (Continued from C-1)

the second half.

39 percent Denver got just USD hit on just 13 of its 24

To Denver Themselves By BILL CENTER Staff wr,ter, The Son Diego Union

SAN DIEGO UNION

• • •

to go, a pair of long ehots by Denver guard Doug Wilson having cut the deficit to one, Reuss heaved an in- bounds pass beyond Davis as the guard broke away ' from the pulled-in Denver defense. "It was an option we have," Brovelli explained of the long pass. "It was the wrong option." USO had more chances. But Davis missed an off- balance 18-footer. And after burly Pete Caruso made a power move inside lo score and give the Pioneers the lead at 52-51, Capener missed a jumper from the side. Poway native Charles Lee hit two free throw for Denver with seven seconds to play. Still, USD was not out of 1l. With two seconds to go, Reuss made an inside move -that drew a foul from Caru. so. Reuss' shot for the bas- ket and the possible tying three-point play fell off the rim. The strategy then called for Reuss to make the first free throw and miss the second. He missed the first. Final. Denver 54, USD 51. "It was that type of a night," said Brovelli. "We played dumb. We didn't oot well. We got beat. nver deserved to beat

Friday, January 14, 1983

The University of San Diego last night failed one of the tests of a good ba kctball team. It failed to overcome adversity Worse y t the Torer<>S failed to overcome the Universi- ty of [)('nver Leading by seven at 51-44 with n5 to play, USD missed a couple of bad shots from the floor, a couple of shots from the foul line and made three bad passes while Den- ver was running off 10 straight pomls to score a 54-51 upset at th<- USD Sports Center •·we d1dn t deserve to win it," said Toreros coach Jim Brovelli as USO fell to 6-8 and short of its goa I of being .500 gomg mto next week's tart of West Coast Athletic Conference play "No matt r what e se had ltappened we had the lead. We didn't do the thmgs we needed lo do to protect 1t. We beat ourselv ' USD tarted the game without forward Mike Whit- marsh. The team's second-leading corer is still recu- perating from a bruised shoulder and a lower back sprain uffered when he was low-bridged m a game nine days ago Before last night's game was five minutes old, USD's other front-line standout, center:forward Robby Roberts - the Torcro ' leading rebounder and No 3 corer - was poked in the eye and ret1red for the night with an inJury that was at first feared to be serious While both should return for the opening of WCAC play the Torero struggled in their absence When guard Rich Davi took a breather m the second half, USD was field- mg a lmeup that averaged only 24.8 points a game. Fre • man center Mano Coronado doubled his season's pla ing lime with four minutes in the first half. USD truggled early. The Toreros were own 26·19 at the half But with Davi scoring 14 of his season-high equaling 20 points in the second half, USD quickly moved back into the conte l agamst the NCAA Division II Pioneers, who are now 12 4 Davis tied it at 34-34 with 1301 to play and USD blew the game open to 49-42 and 51-44 as John Prunty passes set up Anthony Reus , Davis and Dave Mclver for rapid- fire baskets Mclver's slam with 2:35 to play, however, accounted f r the last p01nts USD was to score - not that the hosts didn't have ample opportunity. With 1.29 to go, Don Capener missed the front end of a one-and-one while USD was still up 51-46. With 1:10

LOS ANGELES TIMES

JAN I 4 1983 BIii WUllama, head football eoaeh at Lhe University or San Diego for seven years, has resigned following an NCAA investigation of the school's football program, the San Diego Tribune said. The paper quoted an unidentified source as saying the NCAA has already decided to place the football program on one year's probation for alleged illegal Joans to l ers.

LOS ANGELES TIMES JAN 1 4 1983

Roberts Is Injured in Toreros' Loss to Denver By TIM GILLMAN, Times Staff Writer

be a serious eye injury," said Torero Coach Jim Brovelli. Besides the lack of rebounding, the team caught a cold on the side. Cold shooting, that is. The Toreros shot an awful (19 for 49) 39 percent from the floor and a pal- try ( 13 for 24l 54 percent from the free throw line. It added up to disaster and dropped USO to 6-8 enter- ing that Jan. 21 league opener at home. "We didn't deserve to win the game;' Brovelli said. "We beat ourselves." Indeed. USO, despite poor play through most of the game, had a seven-point lead, 49-42, with three minutes remain- ing. But the visiting Pioneers used good outside shoot- ing to cut that to one-point, 51-50, with 1:10 left. The visiting Pioneers are 12-4 but they don't play the cream of college basketball. "Denver played well at the end and deserved to wiri the game," Brovelli said.

SAN DIEGO -The USD basketball team went into Thursday night's game against the University of Den- ver with a height handicap and it got worse as the night went on. This helped give Denver, a Division II team, which normally plays powers like Chadron State, South Dako- ta Tech and Rockmont College, a 54-51 upset victory over the home team at the USO Sports Center. The Toreros went into the game missing starting for- ward Mike Whitmarsh, who is third on the team in re- bounding. Whitmarsh suffered a shoulder and hip injury in last week's victory over Oklahoma Christian College, but is expected to be back in action for the team's West Coast Athletic Conference opener against St. Mary's. Six minutes into the contest, the Toreros' leading re- bounder, center Robby Roberts, caught an elbow in the eye and was lost for the night. "The doctor said it could

The Son Diego Union/Bob Ivins

\ •

over

and misses· -

Torero Robby Roberts shoots -

Denver's Ty Sherbert (42) and Mark Langkamp (50).

(Continued on C-2, Col. 5)