CBA, Daredevils bedeviled

By Bruce Sayler of The Montana Standard - 01/08/2008

The Continental Basketball Association’s December “Coach of the Month” won’t be leading the Butte Daredevils this week, nor, perhaps, ever again because of a financial problem that came to a head Monday morning.

Both Daredevils owner Joe Clark and head coach Pat O’Herron said the decision for O’Herron to take a “leave of absence” was because his paychecks have been few and seldom this season. Clark has cited a lack of community corporate support and lower-than-forecast fan turnouts for home games as the causes for the money problems. As a result, player Odell Bradley has been named player-coach for the Daredevils this week as they play the Oklahoma Cavalry in Lawton, Okla., on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and then the Yakama Sun Kings in Yakima, Wash., on Saturday. The team left Butte Monday and flew to Oklahoma unaccompanied by either O’Herron or assistant coach John Williams.

The Butte team is down to seven players on its active roster. Each squad is allowed to carry 10 players under CBA rules.

“Our players are all behind Odell as the interim coach for these road games,” Clark said. “Even though we are short-handed with only seven players, they are determined to win these games for Butte. We are hopeful that we will be able to raise enough support to get both Coach O’Herron and Coach Williams back from their leaves of absence.” The coaches have taken the Daredevils to the CBA’s second-best record at 12-9 and their 8-1 month, in games they dressed eight or fewer players, in December won O’Herron the league’s Coach of the Month award.

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He came to Butte last year to serve as an assistant coach in the Daredevils’ inaugural season. But head coach Scott Carson resigned last January, saying he wanted to go into private business in Bozeman, and O’Herron took the Daredevils reins.

“My assistant, John, and I haven’t been paid,” O’Herron said Monday afternoon. “We just can’t do it anymore. I tried to take care of the players and I expect the owners and front office to take care of the coaches. We have our family, a house and bills here. The only way to pay bills is to bring in money, like everyone else has to. We’ll try to find employment to live in Butte. We like the community, like the area and we didn’t buy the house to find out we couldn’t make our bills. This is all about what’s right and what’s fair. We provide a service and expect to get paid for it. We can’t work for free and we were doing it a long time.” O’Herron’s wife, Terri, resigned as team general manager last week for similar reasons, they said.

Pat O’Herron said he has received two full checks and “pieces” of others during this season’s tenure. He said that if Clark pays someone else to coach the team, more trouble will have been brewed.

“It will really upset us if he brings in a coach and pays them a salary without paying what’s owed me and my wife,” he said.

“We need to find something that will bring in some money,” Pat O’Herron said. “We did everything we could for the organization. They owe us a lot of money. If he (Clark) can come up with the money that’s owed me and my wife, and if there’s a guarantee I’ll get paid every two weeks like we’re supposed to, then I’d be open to coming back as coach.” Clark said he is working toward having such occur, but said he can’t promise the O’Herrons anything. Clark said O’Herron’s coaching salary is $45,000 to $50,000, depending on bonuses and admitted the O’Herrons have not been paid what they’re owed. Williams’ salary is somewhat less, but Clark didn’t divulge totals. He said the only Daredevils employees who have consistently drawn full, regular paychecks have been the players.

“They went beyond the call,” Clark said of the O’Herrons and Williams. “They were delaying their compensation and made the sacrifices, but it has gotten to a point where we can’t afford it and I’m trying to find someone that would invest in the team and come in and do something that would allow us to keep him. I’d love to keep both coaches. We’re in the process of trying to negotiate something. He is one of the best coaches in the league and losing him is a tremendous loss for us.” Oddly, O’Herron’s last win was a forfeit. After rare back-to-back losses Thursday and Friday, at home to the East Kentucky Miners, the Daredevils went to Great Falls to play the Explorers, another franchise experiencing financial troubles, and found no game. It had been reported that Great Falls called the game off prior to the Daredevils busing to the city, but O’Herron said that was not the case.

“I’d gotten a call that we might not play, so we didn’t leave the Civic Center parking lot until 3:30 on Saturday,” he said. “About 10 minutes outside of Great Falls, I got a call that said we weren’t playing and then I got one that said we might. So we got to the (Four Seasons Arena) and waited in the parking lot for a half hour. Then we found out their players left because they weren’t getting paid. We got in the arena and talked to the game officials. (The Explorers) owners wanted to pull guys out of the stands to play us. I said ‘no way’ — I wasn’t putting our guys in harm’s way for that. The officials agreed and said ‘game over,’ and called it a forfeit.” Clark said the money woes resurfacing do not necessarily signal an end to the Daredevils’ stay in Butte.

“The league wants us to finish the season,” he said. “Everybody in the league feels Butte is the perfect place for a CBA team, that Butte has the best fans and the greatest people. When they were here for the All-Star game last year, they were sure we would receive all the support and sponsorships needed. All the players love Butte and are excited about being here.” Clark said budget trimming has resulted in a expense line of $750,000 to run the club for a season. He said major expenses include the players’ salaries, travel costs, league assessments, housing, advertising and promotion.

“Then, we have the normal other things like insurance and all of that stuff,” he added.

The club also pays Butte-Silver Bow rent for office space in the Civic Center and for use of the arena for games and practices. Clark said some forgiveness was granted the club on its Civic Center fees recently in light of its financial trouble.

“We’re trying to raise funds from outside sources,” Clark said. “Our intent is to play the entire season. Beyond that, we’ll have to look to see what our response is for next year. We want to be back. We don’t want to leave, but we have to have support.

“The league is working with us diligently to continue the season. We’re doing everything to raise funds from resources outside the area and will be putting together season ticket packages for the last half of the season, and we’re looking for half-season sponsors as well. “ The team’s chief executive also said plans are in the works for ticket deals for future home games in attempts to pump the attendance numbers. He said the last home game drew more than 1,200 persons, called it a good sign, and said the next home games, set for Jan. 18-19, are both benefit nights, one for the Paul Clark Home and the other for the community Food Bank, that should also put more bodies in the seats. He added that he plans to launch a “Sixth Man Club” venture, too, in which 20 persons pay $1,000 to join, but had not finalized what the patrons would receive for the dues. He did say that “five or six” persons have committed to the project and that “three or four” have shown much interest.

“Nobody wants to move,” said Clark, who also bought a house in Butte during the past year. “We want to commit to next year. I’m positive and we have keep a positive attitude. There’s enough good people in this area to help support it and make it happen.” O’Herron has been coaching professional minor league basketball since 2003, and came to Butte after a stint heading a team in the Mexican pro league. Before that, he was involved with a California sports agency, developing prospects for future pro basketball careers. O’Herron said that Williams, a veteran of eight seasons in the National Basketball Association prior to embarking on a coaching career, will likely leave Butte and go back to his Louisiana home.