Pasternack and UCSB decline KEYT’s request for on-camera interview about college basketball scandal

UCSB men’s head basketball coach Joe Pasternack and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics John McCutcheon denied the request of longtime KEYT Sports Director Mike Klan for an on-camera interview to talk about the scandal in college basketball concerning specifically the University of Arizona.

Pasternack did tell Klan by phone that he is allowed to talk to sports agents and agent runners as long as no bribes are offered.

By email Klan asked McCutcheon if ethics were ever discussed with Pasternack during the hiring process at UCSB or following last fall’s arrest of former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson. McCutcheon wrote “I am sorry Mike but I think it would be inappropriate for me to comment. Those types of conversations are confidential.”

Before being hired at UCSB last spring, Pasternack was the associate head coach at Arizona.

Last week ESPN reported that Arizona head coach Sean Miller is on wiretap discussing payment of a former recruit with 24 year old Christian Dawkins, a former runner for a sports agency. Miller did not coach Arizona’s game over the weekend.

According to the ESPN article, Dawkins is a key figure in the FBI’s investigation into college basketball’s corruption.

A Yahoo! report mentioned emails by Dawkins to his boss talking about Pasternack. In one email Dawkins says “Joe told me verbatim he will help us get all the Arizona players so put his feet to the fire.”

As of February 26, 2018 there has been no evidence that has been made public that Pasternack has done anything wrong.