Coach Lopes resigns

By EDDIE HUGHES

Ray Lopes resigned from his position as Fresno State men’s basketball coach Thursday after a university investigation confirmed Lopes’ involvement in a violation of an NCAA recruiting rule.

The rule violated was a telephone contact rule regarding potential recruits. Lopes said the violations were unintentional.

“When I came to Fresno State, I made a commitment to President (John) Welty and (then) athletic director Scott Johnson that I would run a program with no NCAA violations,” Lopes said in a statement issued to the media. “I recognize that there have been violations of the telephone contact rule with regard to the recruitment of some prospective student-athletes. I regret that occurred, and I acknowledge my responsibility for these unintentional recruiting violations. I did not willfully intend to violate NCAA regulations.

“I came forward and I told the president that, in the best interest of the university and the best interest of the basketball program, that I thought I should do this,” Lopes said. “So that, hopefully, this will minimize any more problems or minimize the impact if in fact the NCAA goes further with this.”

In a press conference held near the Shehadey clock tower outside the Save Mart Center, Lopes said he knows the rule but made a mistake.

“Mistakes happen,” Lopes said. “We’re all human.”

NCAA bylaw 13.01.6.2 states “…only three telephone calls to a prospect (or the prospect’s parents or legal guardian(s)) may be made during the month of July following the prospect’s junior year in high school, with no more than one telephone call per week.”

Interim athletic director Paul Oliaro held a press conference at the Peters Building at 4 p.m. on Thursday to make the announcement.

“He did what he felt was necessary to try and minimize damage to this team and to the program,” Oliaro said of Lopes.

Shortly after Lopes took the Fresno State job, the men’s basketball program was placed under sanctions by the NCAA for violations that occurred during former coach Jerry Tarkanian’s tenure.

In September of 2003, the NCAA penalized Fresno State with four years probation.

Under NCAA rules, an athletic program could face harsher penalties under the repeat violator rule if other violations occur during the probationary period.

“We’re not sure what [the NCAA is] going to do,” Oliaro said. “We’re not going to speculate at this time, but I think we’re trying to show them that we take this seriously. We’ve acted quickly and we’re cooperating fully.”

University officials did not speculate on whether the recruiting violation would be classified as a secondary or major violation.

The university is working in cooperation with the NCAA in the investigation of any possible rules violations, a news release said.

Oliaro said a search for a new coach will be organized and completed as soon as possible. He said a new men’s basketball coach is likely to be hired before a new athletic director.

Oliaro is filling the athletic director position on an interim basis after Johnson announced his retirement from the position in late February.

Lopes notified Fresno State’s players of his decision on Thursday.

“They didn’t take it very well, but that’s not surprising,” Lopes said.

The coach said he doubts any players will leave Fresno State because of his decision to resign. He also said he expects the Bulldogs’ three new recruits to uphold their commitments for the 2005-06 season.

Senior center Mustafa Al-Sayyad, who played his final game with the Bulldogs last Friday, expressed surprise at Lopes’ decision.

Al-Sayyad said he didn’t attend the team meeting on Thursday because he had class.

The coach just completed his third season on the job when the Bulldogs were eliminated from the Western Athletic Conference tournament last Friday.

Lopes was hired in April 2002 as the replacement for Tarkanian. The Bulldogs were 50-37 under Lopes and won the regular season WAC title in his first season. Fresno State finished 16-14 this year, missing out on postseason play.

—Nathan Hathaway contributed to this report