ARTICLE & LINK:
David Berst - one of the most influential NCAA figures in history - will retire this summer after 43 years.
The NCAA made the announcement Wednesday morning, ending a chapter in the career of a classy, infamous, tireless face of the organization. The former MacMurray (Ill.) basketball player spent 26 years in the enforcement division, eventually becoming one of the NCAA's most notorious figures. The former enforcement director has spent the last 17 years as a Division I vice president.
It was Berst who collapsed at SMU 28 years ago at a press conference announcing the one and only "death penalty" in the history of Division I football.
During a long, languishing case that spanned more than a decade, former Rebels' basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian accused Berst of unfair scrutiny of his program.
The coach sued the NCAA in 1992, partially over what he considered harassment from Berst. Six years later the NCAA settled with Tarkanian for $2.5 million. The coach's dogged legal pursuit of the NCAA opened the door to challenge the monolith. Tark's stance arguably is reflected today in the multiple lawsuits challenging the NCAA's stance on player compensation and player safety.
UNLV AD Tina Kunzer-Murphy recently recalled that Tarkanian, "felt they always came after him. I'll never forget when we won the [1990 basketball] national championship in Denver. We walked across in front of all the NCAA. It was like this [stone-faced]. None of them wanted us to win."
The NCAA ordered UNLV to suspend Tarkanian after its 1977 Final Four, but a local judge blocked it saying, "[Berst] had an obsession to the point of paranoia to harm the plaintiff The Committee on Infractions allowed a staff investigator [Berst], who the evidence clearly shows, swore he would get Tarkanian if it was the last thing he ever did -- to act as investigator, prosecutor, a judge and jury."
There was a time when Berst's mere presence on campus intimidated school officials. The historic SMU announcement came the same day he was battling the flu contributing to his collapse before scores of media. The NCAA hasn't announced penalties on campus since.
Berst has been a dogged defender of NCAA ideals. He was in the front row 2 ½ years ago when NCAA president Mark Emmert announced the Penn State sanctions. At the end of the press conference he was asked if the moment reminded him of SMU."It conjures up memories," he told CBSSports.com
In his later years, Berst was seen as a wise elder statesman, in Emmert's inner circle. There may be no other person to leave the organization with as much institutional knowledge.
His retirement follows the defection of several other high-profile NCAA employees since the announcement of the mishandling of the Miami case in early 2013.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/25122667/former-ncaa-enforcement-hammer-david-berst-to-retire
PENN STATE CULTure HAPPY!
David Berst - one of the most influential NCAA figures in history - will retire this summer after 43 years.
The NCAA made the announcement Wednesday morning, ending a chapter in the career of a classy, infamous, tireless face of the organization. The former MacMurray (Ill.) basketball player spent 26 years in the enforcement division, eventually becoming one of the NCAA's most notorious figures. The former enforcement director has spent the last 17 years as a Division I vice president.
It was Berst who collapsed at SMU 28 years ago at a press conference announcing the one and only "death penalty" in the history of Division I football.
During a long, languishing case that spanned more than a decade, former Rebels' basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian accused Berst of unfair scrutiny of his program.
The coach sued the NCAA in 1992, partially over what he considered harassment from Berst. Six years later the NCAA settled with Tarkanian for $2.5 million. The coach's dogged legal pursuit of the NCAA opened the door to challenge the monolith. Tark's stance arguably is reflected today in the multiple lawsuits challenging the NCAA's stance on player compensation and player safety.
UNLV AD Tina Kunzer-Murphy recently recalled that Tarkanian, "felt they always came after him. I'll never forget when we won the [1990 basketball] national championship in Denver. We walked across in front of all the NCAA. It was like this [stone-faced]. None of them wanted us to win."
The NCAA ordered UNLV to suspend Tarkanian after its 1977 Final Four, but a local judge blocked it saying, "[Berst] had an obsession to the point of paranoia to harm the plaintiff The Committee on Infractions allowed a staff investigator [Berst], who the evidence clearly shows, swore he would get Tarkanian if it was the last thing he ever did -- to act as investigator, prosecutor, a judge and jury."
There was a time when Berst's mere presence on campus intimidated school officials. The historic SMU announcement came the same day he was battling the flu contributing to his collapse before scores of media. The NCAA hasn't announced penalties on campus since.
Berst has been a dogged defender of NCAA ideals. He was in the front row 2 ½ years ago when NCAA president Mark Emmert announced the Penn State sanctions. At the end of the press conference he was asked if the moment reminded him of SMU."It conjures up memories," he told CBSSports.com
In his later years, Berst was seen as a wise elder statesman, in Emmert's inner circle. There may be no other person to leave the organization with as much institutional knowledge.
His retirement follows the defection of several other high-profile NCAA employees since the announcement of the mishandling of the Miami case in early 2013.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/25122667/former-ncaa-enforcement-hammer-david-berst-to-retire
