McNair testifies he received more than $60,000 from Bush

NCAA attorney tries to poke holes in the testimony of former USC assistant coach.

Former USC assistant coach Todd McNair, testifying in his defamation suit against the NCAA on Friday, said he received more than $60,000 from Reggie Bush between 2010 and 2015.

In cross-examining McNair, NCAA attorney Kosta Stojilkovic noted that McNair had called Bush, the former Trojans running back, “selfish” during testimony Thursday.

“Reggie Bush wasn’t selfish when he gave you about $60,000 in loans over the last eight years, right?” Stojilkovic asked.

The attorney displayed five checks Bush wrote to McNair in amounts ranging from $2,500 to $25,000.

McNair, whose contract at USC wasn’t renewed in June 2010 after the NCAA infractions committee sanctioned him for unethical conduct, said he didn’t have to pay back Bush.

“That was just him helping you out, correct?” Stojilkovic said.

“Yes,” McNair responded.

In another exchange, Stojilkovic implied that USC cut ties with McNair because several recruiting websites didn’t list the former assistant coach as among the nation’s top recruiters and the Trojans didn’t land top recruit Percy Harvin.

McNair tried to interject with an explanation of how recruiting works in college football.

Stojilkovic jumped between transcripts of McNair’s two interviews with NCAA investigators and his appearance before the infractions committee, contrasting those answers with his testimony in this trial.

Stojilkovic at one point listed several extra benefits Bush and his family received from would-be agent Lloyd Lake. Stojilkovic reminded McNair that he had previously stated that communication with players is important to protect them from getting into trouble.

The attorney asked why Bush’s 1996 Chevy Impala didn’t raise questions for McNair. The former coach explained that he would’ve been concerned if Bush had arrived in a Mercedes.

“That Impala was trash until he got it fixed up,” McNair said.

When Stojilkovic displayed the transcript of Lake’s interview with NCAA investigators to try to show that McNair knew about Bush’s extra benefits before a disputed Jan. 8, 2006 phone call between McNair and Lake, the former coach stood up.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” McNair said.

The former coach then walked the jury through part of the transcript on a big-screen television.

What Stojilkovic had seemed to be setting up as a “gotcha” moment fizzled instead into confused looks on the faces of many jurors.

The trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court will continue next week, with both sides hoping to wrap up testimony by Friday.