Wednesday, October 22, 1997
Five-year, $2.38 million contract opens UCLA’s Steve Lavin
Era
BASKETBALL Coach will make $435,000 in his first full season
this year
By Mark Shapiro
Daily Bruin Staff
It looks like the Steve Lavin Era is set to proceed into the
next millennium.
The UCLA men’s basketball program and head coach Steve Lavin
came to terms on a five-year contract yesterday, which takes effect
immediately and runs through the 2001-2002 season.
The contract is worth a total of $2.38 million, with Lavin set
to make $435,000 this season.
"We are excited about the Steve Lavin Era at UCLA," said
athletic director Peter Dalis. "(Lavin) has demonstrated that he is
the right coach to lead the most successful program in
college-basketball history into the 21st century."
Lavin, who was named head coach on Feb. 11, spent the last
several months in limbo while the contract was sorted out. Though
contract talks took some time, it was only a matter of semantics
that held up the works.
"The terms, the years, the financial stuff has been agreed upon
for months," said Lavin. "It was really just language that was
being worked out. In terms of (Dalis) and the administration, we’ve
been on the same page for months."
So Lavin, who opened last season with a roommate and a car on
the verge of shutdown, opens this season with a multimillion-dollar
deal and a team to call his own.
"UCLA is the number-one basketball program in the country, and
to be the head coach here is the opportunity of a lifetime," said
Lavin. "It’s great in terms of recruiting, and it stabilizes our
program for the future."
The contract includes base salary, radio/television fees,
equipment and apparel contracts and summer camps. The package will
bring Lavin $435,000 this year, with $460,000 coming next year,
$485,000 for the third and fourth years, and $510,000 in the fifth
year.
Lavin was named interim coach last Nov. 6 upon the dismissal of
his predecessor, Jim Harrick. After some early stumbles, he led the
Bruins to a 24-8 record, their third consecutive Pac-10 Conference
championship and a trip to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
They also finished the season ranked seventh in the nation.
Lavin began his days with the program 1992 as a
restricted-earnings coach. He was hired full-time in 1995 as UCLA’s
defensive specialist.
Before coming to UCLA, Lavin spent three years as a graduate
assistant coach at Purdue University, following his graduation from
Chapman College in 1988.
For the past nine years, Lavin has run summer camps and coaches’
clinics specializing in defense, footwork and motivation.
Daily Bruin file photo
With terms of the contract finalized, head coach Steve Lavin
looks forward to receiving $435,000 for this season.