THE BATTALION Page 11
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United Press International
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The
University of New Mexico Tuesday
began its search for a new head bas
ketball coach to replace Norm Ellen-
berger, fired in a scandal that has
shattered the school’s highly suc
cessful basketball program.
Ellenberger was fired Monday by
UNM President William E. Davison
the recommendation of the school’s
athletic council. Ellenberger could
not be reached for comment.
New UNM Athletic Director John
Bridgers told reporters a search for a
new basketball coach was underway
“as of right now,” but said he did not
know how long it would take.
The firing of Ellenberger culmin
ated a scandal which began last
month when a transcript of an FBI
wiretap indicated Ellenberger and
former assistant basketball coach
Manny Goldstein discussed an
alleged plan to falsify the transcript
of a basketball player. Goldstein res
igned last week.
Subsequent disclosures led to the
ineligibilities of six more players, the
suspension of Ellenberger and Gold
stein and forfeitures of one basket
ball victory and six football victories
at UNM this fall.
The case is currently being inves
tigated by a federal grand jury.
The NCAA is also investigating
alleged recruiting violations that
occurred before this year in the
UNM basketball program.
Bridgers said it was important to
hire a new basketball coach for the
current season as soon as possible
because acting coach Charlie Harri
son “can’t be a one-man basketball
coaching staff and recruit effective
ly”
He said, however, that Harrison
would not be considered for the per
manent head coaching job.
“It will not be possible for him to
continue as head coach,’’ Bridger
said. “He was a member of Ellenber-
ger’s staff and I felt that for recruiting
reasons it would be best if we did not
name someone from the former staff
as head coach.”
He said his action did not imply
that Harrison was involved in the
alleged wrongdoing and said he felt
the acting coach was doing an excel
lent job.
UNM’s basketball program has
consistently been the biggest pro
ducer in terms of revenue and
attendance in the entire UNM athle
tic program. The program earns
more than $1 million in revenue
annually and average attendance at
each home basketball games exceeds
14,000.
In a letter, Davis advised Ellen
berger he was dismissed from the
head coaching job effective at 5 p. m.
Monday. Davis said he had con
cluded Ellenberger violated provi
sions of the UNM Faculty Handbook
which resulted in “willful and grossly
incompetent conduct injurious to
the University of New Mexico bas
ketball program.”
Davis said Ellenberger could
appeal the decision to the UNM
Board of Regents, but there was no
word if he would do so.
Davis also said he had no plan to
resign as president of UNM as a re
sult of the scandal. An Albuquerque
newspaper (the Journal) in a Sunday
editorial urged him and the UNM
regents to step down.
So far this year, UNM has com
piled a 1-6 record, with one of the
losses a forfeiture resulting from the
use of players who were later deter
mined to be ineligible.
Ellenberger has been head coach
at UNM since 1972, compiling a 134-
62 record and leading the Lobos to
the Western Athletic Conference
championship in 1978 and an invita
tion to the National Invitational
Tournament in 1978. He came to
New Mexico as an assistant coach in
1967.
Grid coach needed
New University of New Mexico
athletic director John Bridgers said
Monday he considered University of
Tennessee-Chattanooga football
coach Joe Morrison a strong candi
date for the vacant head coaching job
at UNM.
“He’s a very, very strong candi
date,” Bridgers said. “I wouldn’t
have gone all the way to Chattanooga
and spent two days there if Joe wasn’t
being strongly considered.”
Bridgers, who said former LSU
coach Charles McClendon is no lon
ger in consideration because he was
not interested in the job, declined
comment about the chances Phi
ladelphia Eagles defensive coach
Chuck Clausen might be picked for
the post.
The head coaching job at UNM
was opened when the school fired
coach Bill Mondt before the Lobos
played their final game this fall.
Tennessee-Chattanooga athletic
director Harold Wilkes confirmed
Bridgers had met with Morrison last
week. Morrison was not immediate
ly available for comment.
Morrison has compiled a 44-30-4
record in seven seasons at Tennes
see-Chattanooga, but in the last
three years was 26-6-2 and won the
Southern Conference title. The
Moccasins were 9-2 this season.
Morrison reportedly met Bridgers
through Florida State University
sports information director Mark
Carlson, who previously was SID at
Chattanooga.
“He (Morrison) is a close personal
friend of mine,” Carlson said. “Joe
has spent a lot of time down here
playing golf. That’s how he got to
know Mr. Bridgers.”
Morrison is a former New York
Giant.
Sources also confirmed that Brid
gers has met with Clausen, who was
in Houston Sunday for the Eagles’
game.
Cage coach talks
Fired University of New Mexico
basektball coach Norm Ellenberger
has a lot to say about the scandal that
led to his ouster — but not today.
“I will have an opportunity to say a
lot of things that are on my mind as
the future unfolds, ” Ellenberger told
the first reporters he talked to in
weeks.
However, he said, he was abiding
by his attorney’s advice not to discuss
the matter pending the outcome of a
federal grand jury investigation.
“There’s a lot more to be said and
as this thing closes out, I will be able
to open up a lot of thoughts in the
minds of others,” said Ellenberger,
who was fired Monday by UNM
President William E. Davis.
Ellenberger was the latest casual
ty of an ever-widening scandal that
erupted Nov. 28 with an FBI investi
gation of alleged bribery and fraudu
lent academic transcript rigging for
Lobo basketbal players.
“I know it’s trying times for all
concerned,” the former coach said,
“but without a doubt things will
progress. The sun came up this
morning and there’s hope for the rest
of the day.”
Despite his tribulations, Christ
mas was on the mind the man who
compiled a 137-62 record in a seven
Ags make all-decade team
Running back Earl Campbell of
Texas, who led the nation in rushing
and scoring in 1977, and quarterback
Tommy Kramer of Rice, the national
total offense leader in 1976, high
lighted the Southwest Conference’s
all-decade football team announced
by league officials Saturday.
All nine member schools were
represented on either the first team
offense or first team defense as
selected by sports writers and broad
casters throughout the region.
Campbell was named offensive
player of the deaede in the balloting
and Wilson Whitley of Houston
edged Texas A&M’s Ed Simonini as
defensive player.
Campbell led Texas to an undefe
ated record during the regular sea
son in 1977 while setting a SWC
single-season rushing record of 1,774
yards. He finished his career with
4,443 yards, almost 1,000 yards
ahead of his nearest challenger.
Kramer posted three career SWC
records, won all-American honors
and led the nation in total offense in
1976 with 3,317 yards.
Joining Kramer and Campbell in
the offensive backfield was Arkansas’
Dickey Morton, who owned the con
ference rushing records that Camp
bell broke during his career.
The receiving corps was made up
of tight end Andre Tillman of Texas
Tech and flankers Mike Renfro of
TCU and Emanuel Tolbert of SMU,
who ended his career last season by
breaking all of Renfro’s career re
cords.
Whitley headlined the defensive
line and joining him in the front four
were Louie Kelcher of SMU, Roger
Goree of Baylor and Brad Shearer of
Texas. Michael Singletary of Baylor
and Robert Jackson joined Simonini
in the linebacking positions.
^ |ELP ftaa&a&a&aaa.ff
year stint that included two Western
Athletic Conference titles and two
trips each to the NCAA and the Na
tional Invitation tournaments.
“The first thing I’m going to figue
out is how to have a merry Christ
mas,” Ellenberger said. “It may take
a lot of eggnog, but I’ll work on it. ”
Ellenberger’s attorney, David
Norvell, said the coach’s firing prob
ably would be appealed.
Norvell said Ellenberger should
have been given a postponement of
an athletic council hearing on his sta
tus until after completion of a federal
grand jury investigation.
The council recommended Ellen
berger’s dismissal at a meeting held
in Ellenberger’s absence. Norvell
said Ellenberger chose not to attend
because it was “impossible to fend
against allegations in the athletic
council report without possibly pre
judicing his case before the grand
jury.”
UNM officials have begun the
search for a new head coach.
They said acting head coach Char
lie Harrison would not get the job
because he was a member of Ellen
berger’s staff. After seven players
were declared ineligible or sus
pended, Harrison was left with four
regulars, plus walk-ons.
The decimated team has a 1-6 re
cord, but Ellenberger said he was
“really proud of Charlie and the play
ers. They’re giving it their all and
what they need more than anything
else is for the people to get behind
them so they can finish out this sea
son as strong as possible.
“If that happens,’ Ellenberger
said, “they’ll surprise some ball clubs
in January and February.”
Wounded footballer
has returned home
Sophomore Larry Edward
Ed” Patterson who was shot in
the eye in an incident at the Texas
Hall of Fame on Dec. 5th has re
turned to his home in Corpus
Christi. Patterson, 19, played de
fensive tackle for the Aggies this
past season — he was redshirted
his freshman year.
Trainer David Heath said Pat
terson was uncomfortable but not
in any danger at the time. Doc
tors have not yet removed re
maining bullet fragments from his
head. Patterson lost his right eye.
Sheriffs Department deputies
arrested 21-year old William Jen
nings Brannan, Jr. of Bryan and
charged him with aggravated
assault.
Id Patterson D1
SWC cage tourney tickets available
Ticket mail orders for the 1980
Southwest Conference Post-season
Basketball Classic'are now being
accepted, with requests to be filled
on a first-come, first-served basis in
January.
The tournament opens at three
school sites on Feb. 25 with the final
three rounds scheduled'Feb. 28-
March 1 at the Hemisfair Arena in
San Antonio.
Tickets for the final three rounds,
at $24 and $15, are on sale through
the San Antonio Sports Task Force,
P.O. Box 1628, San Antonio, TX
78296. Each order, with no mini
mum number of tickets, should be
accompanied by a $2 mailing and
handling charge.
Orders will he filled based on post
mark date.
LAST-MINUTE GIFT IDEAS
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TRI-STATE!
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THE
The defensive backfield was made
up of Texas A&M’s Pat Thomas and
Dave Elmendorf and Texas’ Johnnie
Johnson and Raymond Clayborn.
The punter was Russell Erxleben
of Texas and the kicking specialist
was Tony Franklin of Texas A&M.
Return specialists voted to the team
were Carl Roaches of Texas A&M,
Arthur Whittington of SMU and
James Sykes of Rice.
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