Fresno State to introduce BYU's Cleveland as new coach

By JANIE McCAULEY

AP Sports Writer

Brigham Young coach Steve Cleveland will be introduced as the new basketball coach at Fresno State on Saturday, a source in the Western Athletic Conference told The Associated Press on Friday night.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the school had scheduled an afternoon news conference Saturday at the Save Mart Center on campus to formally introduce Cleveland, who is from Fresno.

He will replace Ray Lopes, who resigned from Fresno State on March 17 after a school investigation determined he had broken the NCAA rule about telephone calls to recruits while with the Bulldogs. Cleveland looked into the Fresno job when Lopes was hired three years ago to replace Jerry Tarkanian.

Cleveland was out of town Friday, but returned to Provo, Utah, to meet with his team, BYU spokesman Brett Pyne said.

Cleveland attended Fresno State his freshman year and was the longtime coach at Fresno City College and Clovis West High School. His family and several close friends live in the area.

Pyne said that athletic director Tom Holmoe knew of Cleveland's interest in the open position at the central California university.

"We are aware Steve is looking into the Fresno job," Pyne said.

Fresno State interim athletic director Paul Oliaro did not return a message seeking comment Friday.

BYU went 9-21 this past season, tying the worst record in Cleveland's eight years as coach.

BYU has gone to the NCAA tournament three times and twice to the NIT under Cleveland, who took over a team that had gone 1-25 the season before. BYU is 138-108 under Cleveland.

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AP Sports Writer Doug Alden in Salt Lake City contributed to this story.