Hansen's Sunday Notebook: Byrne shows unusual patience, keeps Butts

Arizona's Byrne shows unusual patience, keeps Butts

Greg Byrne could’ve fired women’s basketball coach Niya Butts last week, and nobody would’ve said the athletic director was impulsive or unfair.

Butts’ past three teams went 8-46 in the Pac-12, the worst three-year period in UA women’s basketball history. And it’s not like it wasn’t bad earlier. Joan Bonvicini, fired in 2008, was 11-43 in her final three conference seasons. She was fired by Jim Livengood.

June Olkowski, 14-58 in four Pac-12 seasons, was fired in 1992 by Cedric Dempsey.

But Byrne kept Butts, whose $210,000-a-year contract ends in 2016, because he likes and trusts her. He likes the way she works with the people in her program and within McKale Center. He told me several times that if he had a daughter, he would trust Butts to be her coach and mentor.

Byrne flew to Seattle last week to watch as the Wildcats were blown out of the Pac-12 tournament by UCLA, to finish 10-20, making it a combined 15-45 the last two seasons. He might’ve put an arm around her shoulder and said, “You’ve had a fair chance; I’m going to make a change.”

Instead, he is showing unusual patience. Butts knows she doesn’t have a pass to lose basketball games at Arizona forever, but Byrne felt it would be the right thing if Butts had one full year to recruit to the new (and eye-popping) women’s facilities at McKale. One more year to grow as a coach. She is, after all, only 37.

I’m certain the two had an eye-to-eye, “we have to do much better” chat.

“Although the program is not currently where I want it to be from a win-loss perspective, we signed coach Butts to a five-year contract and we believe she should be able to see it through,” Byrne said in a statement Saturday.

There are two mid-major coaches who would’ve probably been available and viewed as home-run hires by Byrne. Wichita State coach Jody Adams, 26-4 this season, is on everyone’s radar. But she also is paid more than Butts, at $221,000 per year with a $400,000 bonus due.

And then there’s Colorado State’s Ryun Williams, whose Mountain West champs, 23-6, have become a league power. He’s being paid $215,000 this year, also more than Butts.

It would’ve been expensive to replace Butts and buy her out. That had to be a factor. But it’s not like Byrne has been shy to make changes.

In his first three years, Byrne nudged Hall of Fame golf coach Rick LaRose into retirement. He changed women’s soccer coaches after Lisa Oyen went 13-46-7. He fired football coach Mike Stoops in mid-season. And he weathered a messy situation in what used to be one of the nation’s top swimming programs before the man he hired, Eric Hansen, left to sell insurance.

There’s a bottom line here: A year ago, Arizona spent $4.1 million on women’s basketball and had revenues of $571,762. Another year, winning or losing, isn’t going to change that by more than a few dollars.

Old-school Hart was leader on, off field

In his 15 years as Flowing Wells football coach, Larry Hart coached the Caballeros to six state championship games.

From 1971-73, his teams went 8-1-2, 9-1-1 and 10-1, but he couldn’t win the state title. Finally, in 1975, on his sixth try, Hart’s Cabs won it all.

Hart had style. He wore a Tom Landry-type fedora and was an old-school disciplinarian.

Only one football coach in Tucson history, Jeff Scurran, with seven state title game appearances, has had so many teams play so deep into the season.

Hart died last week. He was 83 and had been struggling with his health for a few years, but it didn’t keep him from being a key part of the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame leadership, or from helping the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s Southern Arizona chapter.

“Larry did a lot more than coach,” his brother, Mike Hart, said last week.

“He was a principal. A teacher. I’m 11 years younger than Larry, and I grew up idolizing him because he was such a great athlete. But he was just as good off the field. He was a terrific human being.”

Hart played football at Amphitheater High School and at the University of Idaho. He was an English major who returned to Tucson and made his mark as a teacher, administrator and coach.

In recent years, he would conclude the monthly Southern Arizona Retired Coaches and Officials Association luncheons with a funny line, or a joke so bad that it got everybody laughing.

On Monday, the coaches/officials association will hold its monthly meeting at the Randolph Golf Complex, and for the first time in years, Larry Hart won’t be there to wish everyone well.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church at 2450 E. Fort Lowell Road.

Routs show Cats’ pitching not ready to contend for title

Friday was among the most sobering days in Mike Candrea’s long softball coaching career. The Wildcats lost 10-0 to Florida and 20-2 to Auburn, which was a sure sign that Arizona’s pitching won’t be enough to win, or seriously contend for, the 2015 national championship. In its loss to Florida, the Wildcats were hurt by a three-run home run by Lauren Haeger, who was the top Arizona prospect in 2011 at Glendale Deer Valley High School. Haeger didn’t visit Arizona or hometown ASU, and has probably become the No. 1 overall player in college softball. She is 11-0 as a pitcher this year, and already has nine home runs. In the 20-2 loss to Auburn, it was a sting from former ASU coach Clint Myers, who has quickly turned the Tigers into a Women’s College World Series contender. It’s not like the road is going to get any easier. Arizona opens the Pac-12 season Friday at 20-1 Cal — the Bears haven’t even played a home game yet.

Tucsonan, Palo Verde grad Cotton signs second contract

Tucsonan Bryce Cotton on Friday signed a second 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz. The former Palo Verde Titan has played in just one game for the Jazz, but coach Quin Snyder told Salt Lake City reporters, “I told Bryce regardless of however many minutes he plays or whatever, he’s done a very good job of coming in and being professional, being ready to play and practice. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”

Rincon High grad Moreno makes Forbes' richest list

In Forbes magazine’s annual list of the world’s richest people, Tucson native Arte Moreno was ranked No. 1,250 with an estimated worth of $1.5 billion. Moreno, who went to Rincon High School, owns the Los Angeles Angels. He sat in the front row at Wells Fargo Arena during Arizona’s loss at ASU last month.

Pac-12 Networks lose Neuheisel

The biggest personnel loss in Pac-12 football from 2015 won’t be Marcus Mariota or Brett Hundley. It will be Rick Neuheisel, who last week left the Pac-12 Networks for a similar analyst/studio host position at CBS. Neuheisel became the personality of the entire network: insightful, amusing and engaging. The Pac-12 Networks are mostly filled with midmarket studio talent; Neuheisel was a cut above.

Ex-UA coach Francis has CDO on a tear

Canyon del Oro’s baseball team is off to an 8-0 start under new/old baseball coach Keith Francis, outscoring opponents 95-21. No surprise there. Francis coached CDO to a state title in 2002, and then joined the Pima College baseball staff for two seasons, and then spent three years on Andy Lopez’s UA staff before retiring a second time. Francis, 66, spent 27 years as a policeman in Kansas City (he once coached Albert Pujols in junior college) and now sells real estate in whatever free time he has.

Former Wildcat Fogg averaging 16.4 points for Giants

After he was Finland’s EuroLeague Player of the Year in 2014, Arizona’s 2012 All-Pac-12 guard Kyle Fogg signed a free agent contract with the Antwerp Giants of the Belgium EuroLeague. He has helped the Giants into the Belgium Cup semifinals this month, averaging 16.4 points, second-highest on his club.

Good genes in ex-Cat Rooks' family

Kameron Rooks, a Cal sophomore sitting out this season with a knee injury, was at McKale Center on Thursday, a place where his father, Sean Rooks, played so well from 1988-92 that his name is in the Ring of Honor. Kameron’s sister is probably a better prospect. Khayla Rooks, a 6-1 sophomore at San Diego’s Mission Hills High School, has led her team to a 25-5 record and the third round of the CIF playoffs, while averaging a team-high 18 points. Talk about good genes; Khayla’s mother is Susie O’Brien, a former CIF section co-Player of the Year in San Diego in 1989.

Former Arizona baseball standout Gile back in town

Arizona reached its first two College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1954 and 1955, and the most imposing player on the club was 6-5, 220-pound first baseman Don Gile. He went on to become one of the first ex-Wildcats to play in the big leagues. In his final MLB game, Sept. 30, 1962, he hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning at Fenway Park to give the Red Sox a 3-1 win over Washington. It was his last MLB at-bat. Gile, 79, is in Tucson this week, visiting ex-teammates. After his baseball career, Gile became national sales manager for Oral B and now lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma. I can imagine the stories he can tell about ex-Red Sox teammates Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski.

Ex-Cat Calhoun hitting .423

After hitting .243 with no home runs in 42 starts at UA last year, infielder Willie Calhoun, a top recruit, lost his scholarship and transferred to Yavapai College. He is among the top players in the ACCAC, with seven home runs in 20 games and a .423 batting average.

Cienega grad Jackson returning to Tucson with Utes

Cienega High grad Andre Jackson will return home next weekend as a starting outfielder for the Utah Utes. Jackson was hitting .182 through Utah’s first 12 games. The Utes, coached by ex-Arizona pitcher and assistant coach Bill Kinneberg, will play at Hi Corbett Field Friday through Sunday.

I-Ridge's Sawchuk accepts appointment to US Naval Academy

Ironwood Ridge High School three-sport standout Hailey Sawchuk, who helped the Nighthawks finish second in the state 4x400 relay last year, has accepted an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Sawchuk, who also plays volleyball and soccer at Ironwood Ridge, has a 4.0 GPA.

Arizona basketball recruit Comanche has history of winning

Incoming UA basketball signee Chance Comanche, a 6-10 senior at Beverly Hills High School, led his school to the CIF 3A Southern Section championship Friday night. Comanche, a four-star recruit, will arrive at McKale Center with a history of winning. In his freshman year, his St. Bernard High team won the CIF Southern Section championship. As a sophomore and junior, his View Park Prep team won Los Angeles city titles. He chose Arizona after visiting UCLA, North Carolina State and UConn.

Olson discovered longtime NBA player, coach Shaw

Brian Shaw, fired last week as head coach of the Denver Nuggets, was more or less discovered by Lute Olson in the summer of 1986. Olson chose Shaw to be part of Team USA in the World Championships even though the UC Santa Barbara guard was on nobody’s radar. That team included Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Harvard coach Tommy Amaker, NBA great David Robinson and NBA television analyst Kenny Smith.

1988 Final Four star Blaylock in prison

At the 1988 Final Four, when Arizona lost to Oklahoma in a semifinal and Kerr shot a career-worst 2 for 13 from the field, the emerging star was OU guard Mookie Blaylock. His defensive pressure and quickness was a key to keeping Kerr from beating the Sooners. Blaylock is featured in the current Sports Illustrated issue. He is in prison in Georgia, serving time for felony vehicular murder. The magazine says Blaylock had been arrested seven times for DUI, including six times since 2007. Blaylock played 13 NBA seasons.

College football sometimes a murky business

The new way of business in college football is not always exemplary. Former Arizona intern/GA Sean Patterson quit his UA job to be a “quality control” coach at LSU when his brother, top quarterback prospect Shea Patterson, reneged on his commitment to play for Arizona and become an LSU Tiger. Last month, the Pattersons were on the move again. Shea this time flipped his commitment to Ole Miss, and then the Rebels hired his brother to be “associate director for recruiting operations.” It can be a murky business, but it’s hardly new. How do you think ASU got its best basketball player of the last 50 years, James Harden? It hired his high school coach, Scott Pera, to be on Herb Sendek’s staff.

My two cents: Uniform contracts in prep sports are insult to fairness

State football power Scottsdale Chaparral High School last week signed a contract with Nike, a deal that includes a provision in which Nike will create new “Mach Speed” uniforms for the Firebirds and “Untouchable” cleats.

Another Phoenix-area football power, Chandler High School, has been sponsored by Under Armour. Scottsdale Saguaro is Arizona’s only Adidas Elite-sponsored football team.

That can’t be good for the base mission of high school sports, which is, after all, a system built on the principles of amateurism. Compare that to TUSD football teams, which can barely afford to have their fields properly maintained.

The lines of competition inside the Arizona Interscholastic Association haven’t just been blurred, but obliterated.