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Utah Hoops Coach in Hospital, to Resign
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By DOUG ALDEN, AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus was hospitalized with heart problems and will resign after the season, the school announced Wednesday.
Majerus, 55, felt chest pains Tuesday night and contacted a cardiologist in Santa Barbara, Calif., where he went for treatment.
He was having dinner in Utah when he began having chest pains that grew in severity, the school said.
Majerus contacted a cardiologist in Santa Barbara, and later flew there to start treatment. His condition was not immediately released Wednesday.
"He's stepping down, definitely, at the end of the season," Mike Lageschulte, associate sports information director, told The Associate Press. "If he's doing better and can come back he will, but right now he definitely won't coach beyond this year."
Assistant coach Kerry Rupp will take over coaching duties in the interim.
Majerus joined the university in 1989. In the 1990s, Utah ranked eighth among NCAA (news - web sites) Division 1 programs in both wins, 250, and winning percentage, .767. The team has made 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament including advancing to the 1998 NCAA Final Four (news - web sites), losing to Kentucky in the national championship game.
Majerus' health problems have forced him to take extended leaves in two other seasons since he started at Utah.
He coached just six games in his first season before undergoing heart bypass surgery in December 1989. He coached one game in the 2000-2001 season before leaving to deal with health issues and care for his ailing mother.
Utah (15-5) has lost its last two games. Rupp coached the team in one game last season, filling in when Majerus left to attend the funeral of a stepfather of a former player.
But Majerus's career at Utah has been dotted with setbacks.
In September of 2001, Utah uncovered several minor NCAA violations, many within the men's basketball program, and cited a lack of departmental oversight over Majerus. The infractions ranged from a free meal for players at a tailgate party to milk and cookies for players at film sessions.
The investigation began after former ski coach Pat Miller threatened a lawsuit, alleging he was fired for an NCAA violation far less serious than others committed by other athletic department personnel.
After a two-year investigation, Utah's athletic program was placed on three years' probation last July. The violations included meals for men's basketball players and academic fraud on the football team. The bulk of the NCAA's concerns with the basketball team centered on meals that Majerus bought for players — a rule that has been changed to allow for such meals as long as each one is documented.
The Utes may still participate in postseason tournaments and no restrictions were placed on TV appearances.
Just this month, university officials announced that Majerus was cleared in an investigation into a complaint by a former player who claimed the coach berated him about his partial hearing loss.
The investigation was launched after a complaint from former Utes center Lance Allred after the 2001-2002 season. Allred told The Salt Lake Tribune that Majerus used offensive, vulgar language two years ago when berating him and mentioned Allred's partial deafness. The 6-foot-11 center transferred to Weber State, citing constant abuse from Majerus.
Utah Hoops Coach in Hospital, to Resign
5 minutes ago Add Sports - AP to My Yahoo!
By DOUG ALDEN, AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus was hospitalized with heart problems and will resign after the season, the school announced Wednesday.
Majerus, 55, felt chest pains Tuesday night and contacted a cardiologist in Santa Barbara, Calif., where he went for treatment.
He was having dinner in Utah when he began having chest pains that grew in severity, the school said.
Majerus contacted a cardiologist in Santa Barbara, and later flew there to start treatment. His condition was not immediately released Wednesday.
"He's stepping down, definitely, at the end of the season," Mike Lageschulte, associate sports information director, told The Associate Press. "If he's doing better and can come back he will, but right now he definitely won't coach beyond this year."
Assistant coach Kerry Rupp will take over coaching duties in the interim.
Majerus joined the university in 1989. In the 1990s, Utah ranked eighth among NCAA (news - web sites) Division 1 programs in both wins, 250, and winning percentage, .767. The team has made 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament including advancing to the 1998 NCAA Final Four (news - web sites), losing to Kentucky in the national championship game.
Majerus' health problems have forced him to take extended leaves in two other seasons since he started at Utah.
He coached just six games in his first season before undergoing heart bypass surgery in December 1989. He coached one game in the 2000-2001 season before leaving to deal with health issues and care for his ailing mother.
Utah (15-5) has lost its last two games. Rupp coached the team in one game last season, filling in when Majerus left to attend the funeral of a stepfather of a former player.
But Majerus's career at Utah has been dotted with setbacks.
In September of 2001, Utah uncovered several minor NCAA violations, many within the men's basketball program, and cited a lack of departmental oversight over Majerus. The infractions ranged from a free meal for players at a tailgate party to milk and cookies for players at film sessions.
The investigation began after former ski coach Pat Miller threatened a lawsuit, alleging he was fired for an NCAA violation far less serious than others committed by other athletic department personnel.
After a two-year investigation, Utah's athletic program was placed on three years' probation last July. The violations included meals for men's basketball players and academic fraud on the football team. The bulk of the NCAA's concerns with the basketball team centered on meals that Majerus bought for players — a rule that has been changed to allow for such meals as long as each one is documented.
The Utes may still participate in postseason tournaments and no restrictions were placed on TV appearances.
Just this month, university officials announced that Majerus was cleared in an investigation into a complaint by a former player who claimed the coach berated him about his partial hearing loss.
The investigation was launched after a complaint from former Utes center Lance Allred after the 2001-2002 season. Allred told The Salt Lake Tribune that Majerus used offensive, vulgar language two years ago when berating him and mentioned Allred's partial deafness. The 6-foot-11 center transferred to Weber State, citing constant abuse from Majerus.
