Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 25, 1992 TAG: 9202250047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LAS VEGAS LENGTH: Medium
UNLV: TARKANIAN CAN'T LEGALLY RESCIND RESIGNATION
Nevada-Las Vegas coach Jerry Tarkanian, scarred by years of battling the NCAA, is now taking on his own administration as he enters his final week at the school he put on the college basketball map.Tarkanian told a rally Sunday evening that he was rescinding a resignation he submitted last June in the wake of continuing problems with his high-profile program.
But school officials said the resignation is legal and binding, and will not be rescinded.
UNLV president Robert Maxson, asked Monday if he might fire Tarkanian if the coach tried to stay, said that would not be necessary.
"There's no need to fire him," Maxson said. "There's not going to be any problem. Jerry made a commitment in good faith."
Asked if he thought Tarkanian would walk away after the final game of the season, against Utah State here March 3, Maxson replied, "Certainly."
Maxson said he had not talked with Tarkanian since Sunday's meeting.
"My position is that Jerry submitted a legally binding resignation and the university accepted it," Maxson said.
UNLV legal counsel Brad Booke produced a copy of a state personnel law that says three days after an employee's resignation is accepted, the employee cannot revoke it without approval of the person accepting the resignation.
Don Klasic, legal counsel for the University of Nevada System, said Tarkanian "does not have a legal leg to stand on" in rescinding the resignation.
But attorneys for Tarkanian contend there was a side "civility" agreement that prevented either side from talking disparagingly about the other.
Tarkanian backers contend that agreement was breached by administration leaks about the coach's program.
Chuck Thompson, Tarkanian's longtime lawyer, said he was sending a letter to university officials notifying them the coach was rescinding the resignation.
"The agreement was obtained fraudulently and coercively, and since it has been obtained, it has been breached in many ways," Thompson said. "The university has nobody to blame but itself."
Tarkanian's wife, Lois, said Monday that the rescinding of the resignation "was not meant to be a political power play."
"It was truly meant to prompt an effective evaluation of what really happened," she said. "He doesn't want this to turn into a political thing."
The flap over the resignation prompted Nevada regents Dr. Lonnie Hammargren and Shelley Berkley to suggest that the Board of Regents review the Tarkanian resignation and problems since that time.
Maxson said Monday that he had received calls from some regents since the Tarkanian announcement.
"I know of no regent who sees anything that has changed," Maxson said.
Tarkanian had been preparing to move out of his office at the 18,500-seat Thomas & Mack Center, which was built on the strength of his winning basketball program. Then reports surfaced Feb. 13 that federal authorities were checking rumors of point shaving by his 1990-91 team.
Tarkanian and members of the team vehemently denied the reports.
Friends say that is when Tarkanian began seriously considering efforts by backers to get him to rescind the resignation.
He reportedly decided against rescinding the resignation, then reversed himself Sunday when reading reports of alleged efforts by the UNLV administration to leak damaging information on the coach to the media.
Tarkanian, 61, is completing his 19th season with the Rebels, who are ranked No. 7 nationally with a 24-2 record.
Tarkanian said he wanted to find out why his program had been targeted by the school administration. The comment drew a sharp response from Maxson.
"I'm angry and I've had my fill of ridiculous charges against my administration by people who really don't care about this university and who will stoop to any level to avoid accepting responsibility for the messes made here which others are now trying to clean up," Maxson responded.