Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Tarkanian rips decision to cut teams

Another Tarkanian is out of a coaching job in Las Vegas.

After only one season, George Tarkanian lost his post at the Community College of Southern Nevada when his basketball program was disbanded Monday.

"People don't realize how much harm this is doing or the good we have done," Tarkanian said. "People don't understand the ramifications of what's been done."

While Tarkanian focused on the loss of minority opportunities created by CCSN's move, college officials zeroed in on the costs.

CCSN administrators cut the men's and women's basketball teams Monday citing the programs' deficit of more than $300,000. The woman's soccer team was cut this fall after spending more than $100,000 of school money.

In announcing the cuts, administrators noted that each sports program is expected to pay its own way by raising private money.

"It's a sad, sad day," said CCSN athletic director Tim Chambers, who is also the school's baseball coach. "I feel bad for the kids and it's sad for the coaches too."

Each sports program is expected to pay its own way by raising private money. Richard Moore, the school's former president, promised in 1999 that no public money would be used for CCSN sports. Since then, the athletics program has been bound to that edict, one which Chambers said has been especially difficult to keep given the sluggish economy.

CCSN was left to pay for the bill out of its soft money account -- funds generated from vending machine sales and typically used for student services.

Women's basketball lost $153,846 and men's basketball lost $146,729 this season.

CCSN cut the women's soccer team last fall after it lost $106,000, a deficit paid for by soft money.

It was a financial burden that CCSN President Ron Remington said the school could no longer carry.

"We need to spend those dollars responsibly and potential investments could be made in tutoring, scholarships, child care, extending hours for computing and the library," Remington said.

In its only season, the men's basketball team finished 16-14 overall, 4-12 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. The women's basketball team went 4-22 and 3-13 in conference. The women's soccer team finished 5-13-4 and 1-8-1.

Athletic performance, however, was not the issue. Chambers said the financial bottom line was all that mattered.

A lack of fund-raising, a glut of out-of-state scholarships and too many assistant coaches broke Tarkanian's program.

"I think we went way too fast," Chambers said.

The downfall of the basketball program was not a surprise. CCSN officials have been concerned for some time about the lack of private donations for athletics.

"Panic was probably a better word -- for me," Chambers said. "We've never had trouble raising money and now all of a sudden we're broke, and I'm in a panic."

Players on the men's and women's basketball teams, who played their last game on Friday, learned of the cuts Monday afternoon. Two full-time and five part-time coaches were laid off Monday. All positions and the scholarships of 24 players will be honored until June, Chambers said.

Women's coach Robert Smith and players from both teams were unavailable for comment Monday afternoon.

Tarkanian said he knew the program would have problems after former athletic director Mike Meyers left CCSN.

"I figured, when they fired Mike Meyers, the situation here would be very difficult," said Tarkanian, who will keep his job teaching a study skills course because he is a tenured-track instructor at the community college. "Primarily, I had confidence in Mike being able to raise the money. We just weren't able to raise the money."

Meyers resigned on Aug. 30, 2001, after uttering a racial epithet about the wife of an assemblyman.

According to Chambers, Tarkanian's heavy recruitment outside Nevada caused program costs to soar. Of the 16 men on the team, two are from Croatia, one from South Africa and eight from other states.

Tarkanian said all the money he used to recruit came out of his own pocket, which amounted to about $7,500 last year.

"I paid for it on my credit card," said Tarkanian, adding that he used it as a tax write-off and that his next roster would have consisted of many local players.

Players on the team were often given full scholarships, which included $300 a player for housing and additional money for meals, travel and clothing. The cost of an out-of-state student is about $10,000, six times what it costs for a in-state players, Chambers said.

Scholarships are not unusual for the nine members of the SWAC, a competitive junior college league. CCSN was the only program in the league that did not offer tuition waivers.

With only one team left at CCSN, Chambers fears that Monday's cuts will get the baseball team booted from the SWAC.

"It's difficult," Chambers said. "It's sad, but we'll make it through."

Tarkanian said he has a "passion for coaching."

"I think I have the record to make me an attractive candidate," said Tarkanian, who has coached at two California community colleges. "But I got a job. Now I teach. I might just be a teacher (full-time). I've moved my family enough."

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