Tarkanian, Maxson feud resurfaces

Thursday, Feb. 5, 1998 | 10:10 a.m.

Amid mounting criticism, Regent Shelley Berkley said today she is backing off of a move to give former UNLV President Bob Maxson a prestigious emeritus title at the university.

But her efforts, which first surfaced at last week's Board of Regents meeting in Las Vegas, have re-opened the wounds of a bitter feud between Maxson and former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian.

Maxson, now president of Long Beach State in California, is regarded by Tarkanian backers as the man who led a campaign to force the popular coach to announce his resignation in 1991, a year after his team had won the national NCAA title. At the time, Tarkanian was the nation's winningest college coach, but UNLV's program was in deep trouble with the NCAA. Tarkanian now coaches at Fresno State.

Berkley, a congressional candidate who once was a fierce Maxson critic, had asked the 11-member Board of Regents at its meeting last week to take up the honorary title at its March meeting with the hopes of burying once and for all the ill feelings the rift created within the community.

Since last week's meeting, Berkley has indicated she also wants to find a way to honor Tarkanian.

The title that was to be considered for Maxson, according to UNLV President Carol Harter, was president emeritus.

On Wednesday, after learning of Berkley's request, enraged Tarkanian supporters began weighing in heavily against the idea. Some telephoned Berkley.

Several of the supporters, who form the core of Berkley's Democratic run for Congress, said they intended to work against her campaign.

"I'm as furious as I can be," said Bob Goldberg, one supporter. "She's polarizing everybody."

But today, after speaking to Berkley, Goldberg softened his stance.

"She said she made a mistake and that she's sorry she angered so many people," Goldberg said. "If she's willing to bury it, I'm willing to bury it at this point."

But another outspoken Tarkanian backer, Pauline Kennedy, remained angry at the regent.

"Because she's backtracking, it doesn't change anything for me," said Kennedy, who has worked on Berkley's congressional campaign.

"I'm furious that she thought this was going to heal wounds and that she underestimated the anger still in this community," Kennedy said.

Berkley changed her mind following a late-evening conversation Wednesday with Harter.

Today, Berkley issued a statement, saying she has since learned that Maxson had made it known he wouldn't accept the emeritus title as long as she was pushing it.

"After chuckling at the irony of this situation," Berkley said, "I have decided to drop the proposal of honoring both men for their contributions to UNLV and leave it to a future generation of regents to finally do what is right and end this controversy with dignity and class."

Las Vegas restaurateur Freddie Glusman, one of Tarkanian's closed friends, said today he was pleased that Berkley was backing off. Glusman was among those critical of the regent on Wednesday.

Tarkanian's wife, Lois, who on Wednesday said she was "shaken" by Berkley's efforts, today declined to talk about the regent's change of heart.

"Right now, this situation is too confusing to comment," Tarkanian said.

The split between Maxson and Tarkanian, which attracted much national attention, had ripped apart the community, forcing many movers and shakers to choose sides.

The book "Shark Attack" was published detailing the alleged conspiracy against Tarkanian, and Showtime commissioned an upcoming movie on the well-publicized battle. Recently, the university balked at allowing the company making the movie to film on campus, a move Berkley said she opposes.

In seeking to honor Maxson, Berkley said she was told every other former UNLV president had received the emeritus honor and that she was not trying to single out Maxson for any special distinction.

"I think it's about time we start behaving responsibly and put this issue behind us," Berkley said Wednesday. "It's the right thing to do."

Today, Harter said she knew of at least two former presidents, Leonard Goodall and Donald Baepler, who haven't been named president emeritus because they're still teaching at the university. They would be eligible for the honor if they left their jobs.

Harter said she believed Maxson, who had made "some fine contributions" to the community, deserved the distinction.

Berkley's efforts, meanwhile, have struck a bitter chord with Tarkanian supporters who despise Maxson for orchestrating Tarkanian's downfall and bringing what they believe was much discredit to UNLV.

Maxson, who served as president from 1984 to 1994, came under additional fire after he left office when it was learned he had arranged a secret contract to supplement the annual $511,000 salary of Jerry Tarkanian's successor, Rollie Massimino, with an extra $375,000 a year.

In November 1994, the Nevada Ethics Commission concluded that the deal violated ethics laws, and it rapped Maxson for misleading the regents about the contract.

Massimino resigned about that time and accepted a $1.9 million buyout of his contract over five years. UNLV will be paying Massimino $377,083 a year until September 1999. The former coach is the highest salaried figure on the state payroll, even though he hasn't worked for UNLV for more than three years.

Maxson's secret dealings with the UNLV Foundation, the university's politically connected chief fund-raising organization, also came under scrutiny and resulted in large-scale reforms enacted by the Nevada Legislature.