Report claims faculty, alumni were concerned about Alford hiring
By Daily Bruin
Oct. 31, 2013 7:12 p.m.
Several UCLA faculty members and former members of the UCLA basketball team expressed their disappointment and concerns about the hiring of men’s basketball coach Steve Alford in April in a series of emails sent to university faculty and officials, according to a report by the Orange County Register released Thursday.
UCLA Academic Senate chair Linda Sarna, former UCLA basketball player Andy Hill and several UCLA faculty members and officials reportedly took issue with Alford’s handling of a 2003 sexual assault case involving University of Iowa point guard Pierre Pierce, according to the Register report.
University officials, including Chancellor Gene Block and Executive Vice Chancellor Scott Waugh, also received emails criticizing Alford’s hiring and curt response to the sexual assault allegations when they were brought up during his introductory press conference at UCLA on April 2, according to the Register.
“That was an incident that happened years ago at the University of Iowa and all I can tell you with that situation is I followed everything that the University of Iowa, the administration, the lawyers that were hired,” Alford said in the press conference. “I did everything I was supposed to do at the University of Iowa.”
In the days that followed, Alford faced heightened criticism from local and national media and UCLA athletics issued his statement of apology on April 11.
“At that time, I instinctively and mistakenly came to his defense before knowing all the facts,” Alford said in the statement. “I wanted to believe (Pierce) was innocent and, in response to a media question, I publicly proclaimed his innocence before the legal system had run its course. This was inappropriate, insensitive and hurtful, especially to the young female victim involved, and I apologize for that.”
Compiled by Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.
