Harrick says goodbye to former team

Friday, Nov. 8, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The team, along with newly named interim coach Steve Lavin, made a surprise appearance on Harrick's doorstep hours after he was fired for lying to university officials about an expense report.

"It was somewhat like a death in the family, but everyone was still there," forward Charles O'Bannon recalled Thursday. "It was weird."

During Wednesday's 2 1/2 -hour visit, the group traded stories and watched tapes of UCLA's run to the 1995 NCAA championship.

"It was probably the first time he'd smiled and laughed since the decision," O'Bannon said. "We talked about things of the past, some of the things he used to say in practice.

"This is a troubling time for him and his family, especially Mrs. Harrick. She's having a tough time dealing with this because basketball is their life, and it was just taken from them."

The visit was Lavin's idea, part of a mourning period he wants for himself and his players. He wants the team to deal with its feelings about Harrick's dismissal before the season begins Nov. 20 against Tulsa.

"When you have the loss of a head coach and you're working with kids that are 18 to 22 years old, that's tough. There's going to be a sense of mourning," said Lavin, who at 32 is just 10 years older than some of his players.

"Something would be wrong with all of us if we didn't have some compassion and feeling for what coach Harrick and his family is going through."