The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • C7

THE ENQUIRER 2017 7C COLUMBIA CHEVROLET 513.891.7200 LOCATEDINTHEHEARTOFMONTGOMERYBETWEENAUDICONNECTIONANDCAMARGOCADILLAC www.columbiachev.com LEASEFOR 349 AutoShow Unbelievable NEW 2016CHEVROLET SUBURBANLS 0 DOWN LEASEFOR John Harkes is out as Futbol Club first-ever head coach. FC Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding confirmed to The Enquirer Friday night that Harkes was no longer with the club. Berding later said in a news release Harkes was of his Assistant FC Cincinnati coach and director of scouting and analytics Alan Koch will act as the head coach, Berding said, and be placed under an interim title. wish John all the best and thank him for his efforts in our inaugural year. We believe we have an exciting team and look forward to a special season with our fans at Nippert Berding said in the release.

Koch is a respected and experienced leader, who takes over head coaching duties and will continue preparing the team for the season that begins with trip to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida Alan leads by example, is a strong communicator and has established very clear expectations for himself and the players. We feel his disciplined approach will be key for a successful season. ownership group continues to be committed to bringing top-level soccer to Cincinnati. The 2017 season presents a very unique opportunity for FCC to affect and, to a degree, determine our future and we feel this change gives us a technical staff that is in alignment with our vision for the franchise. changes are not uncommon in the sporting world and many of them are difficult.

Timing is also a consideration and we made this decision to give our new head coach time to prepare with the team for the upcoming season. I want to express my appreciation to our owners, players and staff for their support of this decision and handling a challenging situation with Goal.com’s Ives Galarcep first reported ouster Friday night citing sources. The firing resulted from a power struggle, according to the report. FC Cincinnati declined to comment on how the decision to fire Harkes materialized. Harkes did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Enquirer.

Harkes oversaw the Thursday training session. He joked and conversed with players and media alike long after the practice ended. He spoke of the forthcoming sojourn to Florida, as well as the new squad he helped assemble, without flinching. On Monday, he participated in a book-signing event at a Norwood store for a hardbound volume about FC memorable first season. Throughout his tenure with the club, Harkes acted as a kind of public face and personality for the FC Cincinnati crest, although offseason appearances between the end of the USL playoff run and the start of preseason were few.

Harkes had on-field, regular season results to back up the persona. FC Cincinnati finished 2016 with the third-best record in USL (16-6-8). He also helped develop forward Sean Okoli, now of Major League New York City FC. There was no public indication whatsoever that the end was nearing, and FC public certainly see the move coming. The 26-player roster departed Saturday to continue preseason at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Its first preseason match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Koch arrived at the club in January and previously served as head coach to USL side Vancouver Whitecaps 2, taking that club to within a win of this past USL Cup championship match. FC Cincinnati dismisses Harkes; few saw it coming ENQUIRER ELGAZZAR John Harkes was FC first coach. PATRICK BRENNAN NEW ORLEANS Chris Webber and Rollie Massimino are one step from the Hall of Fame. The career 20-point-per-game NBA scorer and the coach who led Villanova to a stunning upset of Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA championship game were among the 14 finalists unveiled Saturday for this Basketball Hall of Fame induction class.

Webber played 15 seasons with five franchises, plus was part of famed group that headlined college basketball in the early 1990s. know what most proud said Webber, who averaged 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in his career and was a five-time NBA All-Star. proud to be in the room with all these great Other first-time Hall of Fame finalists include longtime NBA referee Hugh Evans, Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo, two-time NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady, five-time All-Star Sidney Moncrief, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, Kansas coach Bill Self, and two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich. still believe McGrady said. is not even a dream come Previous finalists returning to the ballot include star point guard and Olympic gold medalist Tim Hardaway, winningest all-time boys high school coach Robert Hughes, Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, former Wisconsin coach and four-time Division III national champion Bo Ryan and 10-time AAU national champion team Wayland Baptist University.

are grateful to the 14 finalists in the Class of 2017 for the impact they have had on the game we Basketball Hall of Fame Chairman Jerry Colangelo said. be named a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame is an incredible Inductees will be announced at the Final Four on April 3. Enshrinement ceremonies in Springfield, Massachusetts are scheduled for Sept. 7-9. Massimino, now an 82-year-old cancer survivor who is still coaching at NAIA school Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida, is a finalist for the first time.

His Hall of Fame hopes have been backed by plenty of current and former coaches in recent months including current Villanova coach Jay Wright, who presented Massimino with a championship ring from the 2016 NCAA title. days, we do take him for Keiser guard Andrija Sare- nac said. then you see him on TV so much, you see all these videos made about him, the movies about Villanova and everything, and it just hits you. You realize that a legend. I mean, your coach is a walking legend.

With the energy and everything he comes in with, Finalists need 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee to be enshrined. Among this candidates who did not make the finalist group: Muggsy Bogues, Ben Wallace, Kevin Johnson, Maurice Cheeks, Mark Price, Lefty Driesell and Eddie Sutton. Former New York Times sports writer Harvey Araton and former Turner Sports broadcaster Craig Sager will be recognized during Hall of Fame weekend as this Curt Gowdy Media Award recipients. sports Webber, Massimino among Hall finalists TIM REYNOLDS ASSOCIATED PRESS ZALUBOWSKI Chris Webber averaged 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in his NBA career and was a five-time All-Star..