Tuesday, July 18, 2000
Huggins denies interest in Clippers
Coach fears Web site report will hurt recruiting
By Mike DeCourcy
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati Bearcats coach Bob Huggins angrily denied a report on the FoxSports.com Web site that claimed he discussed the vacant Los Angeles Clippers head coaching job with team owner Donald Sterling.
“Can we just kill this?” Huggins said. “Because it's going to kill my recruiting. I'm out here working my tail off.”
The report said Huggins ate dinner Saturday night with Sterling and Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian at Piero's, a restaurant in Las Vegas.
“Part of that is correct,” Huggins said.
Huggins is in Las Vegas to attend the adidas Big Time Tournament, the largest club event of the July recruiting evaluation period for NCAA basketball. He explained he dined with Tarkanian, as well as George Washington coach Tom Penders and one of Huggins' neighbors from Loveland. Huggins said Sterling came by their table and sat for a while, but said there were no discussions about the UC coach filling the Clippers' vacancy.
“I'd never met the guy,” Huggins said. “It's the first time I ever talked to him.”
In the spring, Huggins was linked in broadcast and print reports to coaching jobs with the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers. He was equally vehement in his denials then.
The Clippers have been without a coach since interim coach Jim Todd was told in May he would not be awarded the job for 2000-01. Former Celtics star Dennis Johnson is coaching the team's entry in the L.A. Pro Summer League and is being considered for the job, along with Denver Nuggets assistant coach John Lucas.
Huggins, like most Division I head coaches, is in the middle of the NCAA's 24-day evaluation period, during which they are allowed to scout an unlimited number of camps, tournaments and workouts to assess recruits' ability. This also is a key time for programs to establish recruiting priorities. Huggins is con cerned this kind of news will damage UC's ability to collect a top class.
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 Huggins denies interest in Clippers
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