AAC’s Aresco on ejections: ‘Situation could have been de-escalated’

TULSA, Okla – American Athletic Conference officials met at the league office, reviewed the ejections of UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley and Tulsa coach Frank Haith during the game Wednesday, and concluded the situation could have been handled better by its referees.

“We’ve reviewed the situation,” commissioner Mike Aresco told The Courant Thursday afternoon. “Obviously, it was regrettable. Though the rule book does proscribe certain conduct and you have technical fouls for various things, we’ve concluded that the situation could have been de-escalated without ejections. It could have been worked through better.”

With 11:19 left in the game, which Tulsa won, 89-83, Hurley and Haith began

Mike Aresco, AAC commissioner

exchanging words from a distance on the sideline. Officials moved in, and Hurley began to walk toward Haith, but with his hand extended. He said he and Haith were “trying to come together and show some sportsmanship.” Haith said it was just “competitive banter” and didn’t “feel it was to that level” to warrant ejections.

But referees Pat Adams, Marques Pettigrew and Bill Ek moved between the two, and as Hurley kept walking toward Haith, eventually issued two technical fouls, ejecting both.

“The first double-technical fouls on the head coaches was for unsportsmanlike behavior according to NCAA[rules regarding taunting and baiting],” the referees said, in a statement to a pool reporter. “The second technical fouls on the head coaches were for continuing to violate Rule 10, section one, bench decorum. The head coach or any other coach may not be outside the prescribed coaching box except when otherwise permitted by rule. After a warning, for the first violation, a technical foul should be assessed for any subsequent infraction.”

Hurley apologized to fans and UConn for his part in the incident, but said he thought the referees “escalated” it and said “there should be accountability across the board.” Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin was ejected from a game on Tuesday, and Hurley said the back-to-back incidents were “embarrassing and a bad look for the league.”

Aresco said the conference’s basketball leadership has spoken to all involved in the UConn-Tulsa incident, including the referees, but plans no further action.

“The officials are acting on things that are proscribed by the rule book,” Aresco said, “but, again, there are always situations that could be handled differently that could lead to a better outcome. In this particular case, we thought there could have been a de-escalation, but that’s as far as I would go because we respect our officials and we respect our coaches.”