USC baseball coach fired 2 days before opener

USC fired baseball coach Frank Cruz on Wednesday, two days before the team's season opener, for "knowingly'' breaking NCAA rules regarding hours spent supervising players.

Cruz, about to begin his third season, had been suspended since Thursday pending a school investigation, and now will be replaced (at least for the 2013 season) by associate coach Dan Hubbs, a former USC All-America pitcher. USC opens its season Friday night at Cal State Fullerton.

USC baseball coach Frank Cruz was fired after a school investigation found he was guilty of excessive player supervision.

USC PHOTO

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USC's internal investigation found Cruz guilty of an excessive number of CARA (Countable Athletically-Related Activities) hours. While a sport is not in season, a coach is limited to eight hours per week of player supervision for activities such as practice and weightlifting.

"Those who knowingly break NCAA rules are subject to termination," Athletic Director Pat Haden said in a statement.

USC reported its violation to the NCAA and Pac-12 Conference and self-imposed a further penalty. The baseball team will have a reduced number of practice hours in 2013 and 2014.

Cruz had a 48-63 record in two seasons. He was initially hired on an interim basis in Aug. 2010 after Haden fired Chad Kreuter, then was named full-time coach in May 2011. USC has won 12 national championships but has not had a winning record or been selected for an NCAA regional since 2005.

Hubbs, 42, spent last season as USC's pitching coach and associate head coach after 12 years as Cal's pitching coach. Hubbs pitched for USC from 1991-93, then was drafted by the Dodgers in the 16th round in 1993 and had a seven-year minor-league career.

In his statement, Haden said Hubbs "is a good coach, he is highly-regarded in the baseball community and he has strong Trojan roots." At USC's alumni game on Sunday, three days after Cruz's suspension, Hubbs talked about taking charge of the team on short notice.

"We have a system in place that we believe in. I don't think any of that changes," Hubbs said. "Any distractions that you have, once you get on the field they seem to go away. When it comes to the baseball part of it, I'm not worried about that."

Junior pitcher Bob Wheatley, scheduled to start Friday's opener, said the players hadn't been dramatically impacted by Cruz's suspension.

"Nothing really changes for us, as players," Wheatley said Sunday. "We're just focusing on winning the games. ... It's not really an ideal situation. It's kind of something that we're not used to, but we're a tight group and we're going to stick together through it. We're just ready to start playing games."

Contact the writer: rhammond@ocregister.com

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/sports/coach-495815-usc-season.html

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