Kerr says ‘there’s a way’ for NCAA to reform
With his alma mater, Arizona, embroiled in controversy, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offered possible ways to reform the NCAA.
“I think the NCAA needs reform, for sure,” Kerr said before Saturday night’s game against Oklahoma City at Oracle Arena. “And it’s not just my reaction to the news from yesterday. It has needed reform for many years.”
A day after Golden State forward Kevin Durant suggested paying student-athletes, Kerr voiced a different opinion: Though he doesn’t think schools should pay their student-athletes, he does think programs should allow players to sign endorsement deals.
It is a stance rooted in personal experience. In addition to having played four seasons at Arizona (1983-88), Kerr is the father of two former college athletes. His daughter Maddy was on scholarship at Cal as a defensive specialist for the volleyball team (201316). His son Nick was a scholarship guard at San Diego before walking on to Cal for his senior season in 2015-16.
“The NCAA model is really a good one,” Kerr said. “My daughter got a scholarship to Cal. That was not paid for by Cal volleyball. That was paid for by Cal football and Cal basketball. You’ve got the revenue-producing sports that are helping pay for the other 20 sports. I love that model. I think it’s great. You’re putting a lot of student-athletes into the community who are learning and being a part of a team.
“But the fact is, college sports have become a billiondollar industry, and there are a few key figures driving the economics. If there’s a guy who happens to be a highly regarded player, and Nike wants to pay him, or Adidas wants to pay him, I think that’s OK. The school’s not paying him. I think there’s a way.”
Kerr quote-tweeted a Yahoo Sports article Saturday afternoon that advocated the NCAA ridding itself of the notion of amateurism, saying atop a link to the story: “Yep, Bingo.” The article touched upon an idea — having the NCAA mirror the Olympic model — that made sense to Kerr.
“It used to be that the Olympians couldn’t make a dime,” Kerr said. “Now you see Michael Phelps and Lindsey Vonn in commercials. They’re still in the Olympics, and they’re doing great. People love the Olympics. So there’s a way. There needs to be reform. Obviously, there’s a lot of work that needs to go into it. But that’s what I’d like to see.”
Kerr’s comments came after ESPN reported that an FBI wiretap found Arizona head coach Sean Miller was involved in a discussion to pay a potential recruit $100,000 to sign with the Wildcats. Miller did not coach Saturday against Oregon.
“Just disappointed,” Kerr said of Miller’s reported rules violation. “It’s my school, and I love my school. I don’t really know what else to say.” Center rotation: Before Saturday night’s game against Oklahoma City, Kerr reiterated that the team’s center rotation remains fluid.
To help fix Golden State’s sluggish starts, Kerr replaced center Zaza Pachulia, who had started all 118 games he had played with the team, in the starting lineup Thursday with JaVale McGee. After watching McGee help the Warriors build an early lead against the Clippers, Kerr decided to start McGee against the Thunder on Saturday.
However, Kerr is open to tinkering with the starting lineup again. The center rotation could change night to night based on matchups.
“We have a ton of centers who do different things, and we could start any of them,” Kerr said.