Columnist Steve Carp: Majerus did right thing by staying

Steve Carp

Tuesday, May 20, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

THE MONEY HAD to be enticing. The opportunity to return to the big stage had to be a boost to his ego. The fact the best player ever to play for him was leaving had to make him think long and hard about going along.

But in the end, Rick Majerus, as he usually does, stayed put.

It has become a rite of passage for the Utah coach. Once spring rolls around, the rumors come out of hibernation. Usually, his name is attached to a college job. But the last couple of years, Majerus has been courted by the NBA. With the money the pros wave at you, a guy could live at a five-star hotel instead of the University Park Inn.

This time, the Golden State Warriors were the suitors. The Warriors have been a mess for some time now and owner Chris Cohan believed Majerus was the man who could get the troubled franchise back on track.

Word was Golden State was willing to pay Majerus $4 million a year for the next 10 years. That will buy a lot of room service. But people have been waving big money at Majerus for years. When it was all said and done, he always remained in Salt Lake City.

When UNLV was looking to replace Jerry Tarkanian back in 1992, then-athletic director Jim Weaver courted Majerus, who was in his fourth year with the Utes.

Weaver went after Majerus hard. And Majerus seriously considered UNLV's offer. But when it was decision time, Majerus told Weaver and the Rebels, "Thanks, but no thanks" and remained in Utah.

A year later, Keith Van Horn enrolled at Utah and helped take the program to a level not seen in Salt Lake City since the late '70s, when Tom Chambers, Jeff Judkins and Danny Vranes were leading Jerry Pimm's teams to the NCAA Tournament.

But Van Horn is done and his next stop is the NBA. The temptation to ride off into the sunset with his star had to be strong for Majerus. The program would be in good shape. He has a very good team coming back and the Utes will remain a dominant force in the WAC.

Yes, it would have been easy to bail and go back to the pros, where he had once been Don Nelson's assistant in Milwaukee. But while the offer from Golden State had to be flattering, it was nice to see loyalty has a stronger grip on Majerus' heart.

Athletic director Chris Hill couldn't possibly match Golden State's money. Majerus makes more than $600,000 a year at Utah. And money is not a priority for Majerus. He's in good shape financially.

But at Utah, Majerus knows he's loved and appreciated by his employers. And that's worth a lot more than any amount of money you can throw a person's way.

Majerus' staying at Utah means UNLV fans get to see him in action this year when the Rebels and Utes go head to head. For that matter, all of college basketball wins by Majerus' decision to remain at the U. The game needs his color, his passion and his ability to teach young men the proper way to play.

Thanks for staying, Rick. Your table at Manhattan will be waiting for you when you hit town in January.