Mercifully, it's over

Harrick's inevitable firing marks ugly end to tainted career

Jim Harrick has accomplished much in his coaching career, but ultimately he will be remembered for only one thing: cheating.

Harrick was suspended Monday, a formality preceding his eventual firing. Clearly, Georgia has the evidence, but it needs to go through due process to avoid future legal action.

How many coaches in the history of the game have been fired from two different places for improprieties? That will be the case if his Georgia career ends the same way his tenure at UCLA did.

Furthermore, how many coaches have gotten two different schools on probation at once?

Harrick may be on the verge of doing just that.

Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley said Monday the school has confirmed academic fraud involving at least three players in the now-infamous "Coaching Principles and Strategies of Basketball" course taught by none other than Jim Harrick Jr. That alone could merit future NCAA action, not to mention the other as-yet-unfounded allegations leveled by former player Tony Cole.

Georgia/ Jim Harrick Timeline Feb. 27, 2003 Ex-player Cole accuses Georgia of fixing grades, paying bills Feb. 28, 2003 UGA suspends assistant coach Jim Harrick Jr. after allegations March 1, 2003 Cole: I used Harrick Sr.'s credit card to buy 28-inch TV March 3, 2003 More trouble? Rhode Island launches investigation into Harricks March 4, 2003 NCAA, Georgia question current Bulldog players Wright, Daniels March 4, 2003 Harrick denies all of Cole's heavy allegations in TV interview March 5, 2003 Georgia fires assistant Harrick Jr. March 5, 2003 Mandel: Party could end early for Harrick, Georgia March 7, 2003 Layden: UGA, others mire college hoops in hypocrisy March 8, 2003 Arrest warrant issued for Ex-Bulldog Cole for bad check March 8, 2003 Harrick accused of tampering with grades at Rhode Island March 10, 2003 UGA suspends Harrick, bans itself from postseason play March 10, 2003 Mandel: Harrick will always be remembered as a cheater March 12, 2003 Judge denies UGA players' restraining order request March 12, 2003 Mandel: No quick fix for college basketball's problems March 27, 2003 Harrick resigns from UGA job, retires from coaching

Meanwhile, we're hearing all the same things -- changing of players' grades, money passed to players -- at Harrick's former employer, Rhode Island, in a lawsuit filed by a former athletic employee.

Guess what direction that's headed?

The man is a serial liar. He's also a serial something else. There's no catchy name for it, but it's how you'd describe a person who jumps from place to place, boosting up its basketball program then tearing it to pieces with his own arrogance.

Arrogance is the only way to explain how people like the Harricks can do things so blatantly stupid and not expect to be caught.

Wire a player money he's not supposed to be receiving and put your name on the receipt?

Tearing the tops off credit card receipts and expecting no one to notice?

Putting yourself in charge of a class full of your own players and not raising some eyebrows?

It's clear that not much thought goes into their actions, which is unfortunate. They should have thought of all the people they might one day adversely affect.

Bulldogs player Damien Wilkins was seen crying on a sofa in the basketball office upon hearing the news Monday. He, like his teammates, will never know what this team could have accomplished and may have lost any chance to experience a Final Four.

A university and state pledged their support, emotionally and financially, only to be betrayed and ultimately cheated out of the thrill of success.

And the sport to which Harrick has dedicated his life has suffered yet another blow to its image and its pride.

The only good news to come out of all this is that Harrick's career is undoubtedly over. No other school will be subjected to the shame of selling its soul for a couple of 20-win seasons.

If ever there were a textbook example of why coaches shouldn't cut corners, Harrick is it.

No one will ever take away his national title, his 470 wins, his 19 postseason appearances.

But that doesn't mean the rest of us have to remember them.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.

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