Good keeping cool on sidelines

Steve Addy

Friday, Jan. 19, 2001 | 10:34 a.m.

Say this much for Max Good -- at least he isn't taking out his stress on the referees.

During even the most routine practice, Good comes off like a drill sergeant in Bermuda shorts, but he has not taken an aggressive tone with the referees since becoming Rebels coach 10 games ago.

Even after the Rick Pitino courtship began, as Good grew increasingly upset about being kept in the dark by UNLV's administration, he hasn't gone ballistic on the officials.

"I don't like to blame the refs. It gives your players an excuse, and I hate excuses," he said.

That doesn't mean Good has been sedate. Once the game starts, he usually loses his suit coat in the first few minutes, and he's quickly on his feet exhorting or applauding his players. It is not unusual for him to sweat through his shirt by halftime.

But as demonstrative as he is, Good pays little attention to the officials. If a call goes against UNLV, Good's standard response is a half-smile, half-wince. When he has anything to say, it's usually done calmly on the referees' next trip downcourt.

You won't see Good storming around on the sidelines like Wyoming's Steve McClain or new Air Force coach Joe Scott. Good rarely leaves the coaches' box, unlike ex-Rebels coach Bill Bayno, who often strayed perilously close to halfcourt and occasionally crouched in the corner.

At age 60, Good figures his crouching days are over, but his theory is that his team will catch more favorable calls with sugar than vinegar. That is a strategy that works for him, even if UNLV has been called for only seven fewer fouls than its opponents since he took over (204-211).

"I have been pretty quiet with the officials, and I think it has helped us," Good said. "When we played Old Dominion, I said something to one of the refs early in the game. But then I told him I was wrong, I was sorry and I was going to let him do his job without me on his back.

"We got a pretty good whistle that day, I thought."

In fact, Good so seldom speaks to the officials, it seems to heighten the impact when he does have something to say.

Monday at Brigham Young, with the game quickly getting away from the Rebels, Good got up once and pointed an instructive finger at referee David Hall, one of the Mountain West's most respected officials. Good was wondering about some shaky calls and non-calls concerning Kaspars Kambala.

But rather than walk away or shake his head dismissively, Hall nodded slyly as if to say, you might have a good point, Max. Later on, Kambala drew three straight fouls against BYU players within only six seconds.

It didn't help the outcome, because the Rebels were already down 17, but it further affirmed that Good commands the respect, if not the ear, of the referees.