Bill Frieder shouldered the weight of accumulating problems at Arizona State until one final incident told him coaching basketball for the Sun Devils wasn't worth it.
The athletic department's offer of a $350,000 buyout for the next three years helped him make the decision to quit Wednesday night.Frieder, 55, finally soured on a ninth season with the Sun Devils because of a campus burglary. Eddie House, a sophomore guard, and transfer Reggie Hester were arrested Aug. 30 after allegedly stealing a compact disc player.
The program also has been under a cloud because of a federal point-fixing investigation, and Frieder said he stressed to his players that they had to avoid trouble.
"I don't think the values of kids coming out of high school today are as good as they were 15 or 20 years ago," Frieder said at his Paradise Valley home during a news conference attended by about 50 people.
Known for his quick wit, Frieder said he has been approached to become a basketball commentator.
"Unfortunately, one of my options is becoming one of you people," he joked.
Athletic director Kevin White said Frieder will get the agreed-upon money - about one-third of what he would have made in the final 2 1/2 years of his contract - even if he takes another job.
Meanwhile, White has asked Utah for permission to talk to coach Rick Majerus, and former Phoenix Suns coach Paul West-phal told KTAR Radio he was interested.
Chris Hill, Utah athletic director, confirmed ASU had asked to talk to Majerus.
"I gave them permission," Hill said. "It is the only professional thing to do."
Frieder and White came to an understanding Tuesday night after Frieder returned from a recruiting trip.
"He'd be the first to tell you that the challenge as we were moving forward was becoming greater," White said. "And he's a guy who's never backed down from a good challenge, I don't think, but I think it got stale."
Arizona State was 11-16 in 1995-96 and 10-20 last season, while talk of a potential gambling scandal emerged.
The FBI has denied that the school and athletic officials, including Frieder, are targets, but a federal grand jury reportedly is looking into accusations that a gambler who bet heavily against the Sun Devils in 1994 paid guard Stevin Smith and up to two other players to shave points.
Frieder and others have pointed out that his team covered the point spread, a double-cross of anyone who paid to make sure they did not.
"If something happens on that FBI thing then I would be the victim in that case," Frieder said "And if something happens in that case I hope all of them go to prison."
Almost from the start, some of Frieder's best players turned up on police blotters, left the program or were injured.
Frieder still won acclaim for coaching fast-breaking teams that relied on relentless, pressure defense to beat more talented squads.
The high-water mark of his eight years came in 1994-95, when the Sun Devils won the Maui Invitational, finished 24-9, reached the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament and earned Frieder a two-year contract extension through April 2000.
Frieder was 132-108 at Arizona State and 323-195 in 17 seasons overall. His first nine years as a head coach were at Michigan, where his teams made five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and won 191 games.