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One hundred seven years of editorf'dfreedom
Monday
October 13, 1997
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Successor
expected
within
JJO days
By Dan Stillman
Daily Sports Writer
University Athletic Director Tom Goss
said yesterday that the national search:
for a new basketball head coach would
be short, but not that short.
"It will probably take me about 10
days to decide," Goss said from his
ice yesterday evening where he was
Irking on the search.
Many have ;
speculated that
Ben Braun,
University of
California at,
Berkeley bas-?
ketball coach
x and former -
Easter n
Mi c hi g a n
University
coach, will be'
raun the replace-
ment. But Goss'
The short said he has not
contacted any-
liSt one about the
position and
Ben Braun: Braun said last
Head coach at night he has not
Cal. Former coach heard from
t EMU. Michigan.
Phil Ford: "I have not
'Assistant coach at been contacted
North Carolina. by anyone from
the University
Kelvin Sampson: of Michigan,"
Head coach at Braun said in a
Oklahoma. written state-
ment. "My
focus has been
n our fall recruiting efforts and the start.
practice this week."
After announcing the firing of head
coach Steve Fisher on Saturday, Goss"
placed first-year assistant coach Brian
Ellerbe in charge of the team until he
hires a replacement.
Unless a new coach is hired, Ellerbe,
who served as head coach at Loyola
College in Baltimore, Md., for three sea-
sons, will lead practice, which starts
Saturday. Goss surprised some by choos-
W Ellerbe over 10th-year assistant
ach Brian Dutcher.
When asked about his decision, Goss
See COACH, Page 7A
Goss wants
to 'change
the program
By Heather Kamins
and Jim Rose
Daily Staff Reporters
Months of controversy and speculation culminated in the
firing of Steve Fisher as Michigan men's basketball coach,
Athletic Director Tom Goss announced Saturday.
Goss said the decision was entirely his own and that Fisher
was never offered the option to resign.
"I have decided that it is time to make a change in the head
men's basketball coach at the University of Michigan;' Goss
said. "To change the program
was my decision. To hire a new
coach will be my decision."
A national search for a suc-
cessor will begin immediately
and conclude as soon as pos-
sible, Goss said. Assistant
coach Brian Ellerbe will serve
as interim coach and lead
practices, which are sched-
uled to begin Saturday.
Goss met with Fisher on
Friday afternoon for a gener-
Inside
Players say Fisher was
a scapegoat, Page 18
Fans have mixed reac-
tions, Page 38
Success marked
Fisher's tenure, Page 38
Cblumn: Goss acted
quickly and made the
right decision, Page 38
al discussion on the future of the program. He said he had no
prior intention to fire him.
"I didn't know. I was very open-minded. I was ready for
the meeting to go either way," Goss said.
Saturday's announcement came just two days after the
release of a 250-page report detailing a private law firm's
investigation into the University's basketball program. The
seven-month investigation uncovered only three minor viola-
tions, despite prior allegations of major NCAA infractions.
Goss said, however, that the report did not directly influ-
ence his decision on the coach's future.
"That report was not the driving factor. I took the report
and I set the report aside on the table," Goss said. "I talked
with Steve more in terms of philosophies, where we want to
head as a team, and as an Athletic Department."
At the time of the report's release, Goss and University
President Lee Bollinger said there were problems within the
program that needed to be addressed, and therefore neither
would comment on the security of Fisher's job.
Former Michigan player Loy Vaught, a member of the 1989
NCAA Championship team that Fisher guided through the
tournament, suggested Fisher was being used as a scapegoat.
"My feeling is that he might be taking some heat for
things that were kind of out of his control," said Vaught, who
is now with the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. "It's very
unfortunate because I know Steve Fisher and I can say that he
doesn't cheat. It's just real unfortunate that he had to be
forced to leave."
During the first month of his tenure, Goss repeatedly has
stressed the importance of making players and coaches
accountable for their actions, while creating "an environment
to help student-athletes realize their potential - academical-
ly, athletically and socially.
"What we need to have here at Michigan is a program that
is clearly focused on the student-athlete. I don't even know
See FISHER, Page 7A
1989 v
1997
1992V
1989: President George
Bush hosts the NCAA cham-
plons coached by Steve
Fisher.
1992: Fisher celebrates
after the Fab Five lead the
Wolverines to victory over
Ohio State in the Final Four.
1997: Friends hold a pep
rally titled 'We Believe in
Steve' to show their support
for coach Fisher amidst alle-
gations of NCAA violations.
FILE PHOTOS
What happened:
The University released a report Thursday
about the Michigan men's basketball program,
which was found to have no major violations.
Goss met with Fisher on Friday afternoon to
discuss the future of the program.
Fisher met with team members Saturday
morning to tell them that he was fired.
* Goss met with the media Saturday afternoon
to announce Fisher's dismissal.
What's next:
*'Goss will search for a new coach.
Fisher's contract, which will expire in 2000,
will be honored, totaling about $400,000.
Students 'come out'
at annual pride day
Book to honor Williams
By Christine M. Palk
Daily Staff Reporter
f The sudden downpour Thursday
fternoon brought out sunshine and
rainbows for Friday's National Coming
Out Week rally.
The rally, sponsored by the Queer
Unity Project and the Michigan Student
Assembly's Lesbian Gay Bisexual
Transgender Affairs Commission,
brought NCOW to an end.
closet to see that there are people who
support them and people who have
come out and made it through just
fine," Trudell said. "Our goal is to get
the word out that we're here and we're
vocal and we won't stay in the closet
just because it might offend someone's
conservative sensibilities."
The rally was kicked off with a
speech by University Dean of Students
E. Royster Harper, who spoke about the
N 'U' English Department
compiles friends' memories,
feelings on domestic violence
By Reilly Brennan
For the Daily
Seeking to memorialize the life of Tamara
Williams while uniting members of the University
community, the English department plans to
assemble a book to honor the late LSA senior.
The book will be assembled not only to serve as
a memorial, but also to provide a forum for writ-
ers to address the issues arising from the murder.
Williams was stabbed to death on Sept. 23 by
her boyfriend Kevin Nelson. She left behind a 2
1/2-year-old daughter, Kiera. The murder received
widespread attention and raised awareness of
domestic violence issues on campus.
Williams had taken some English classes, said
JoAnn Peraino, secretary in the English department.
The collection will be presented as a chapbook,
or a small collection of work from different genres
- poems, prose meditations, essays and .poten-
tially the visual arts.
The project will be supervised by John Whittierm
Ferguson, an associate English professor and the
department's director for undergraduate studies.
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