Iowa Story
Iowa Story
Alford sees storm as a test of faith
A hero in Indiana, Iowa coach has born ire of fans and public since player's arrest
By Michael Pointer
michael.pointer@indystar.com
February 1, 2003
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- An Indiana resident passing through the Hawkeye State last fall may have thought he was in a foreign country.
"Fire Alford," one sign read outside Carver-Hawkeye Arena before an Iowa exhibition game.
"Coach Alford was out of line," read a headline above a story in The Des Moines Register that questioned Iowa coach Steve Alford's actions regarding a sexual-assault allegation involving one of his players.
This wasn't the Steve Alford, was it?
The guy with the perfect hair and even better jump shot, who played in front of crowds of more than 9,000 at New Castle's Chrysler Fieldhouse and led Indiana University to the 1987 NCAA title? Who some IU fans prayed would replace the fired Bob Knight in 2000?
Yes, the one and only.
"I have weathered a pretty substantial storm," said Alford, whose Hawkeyes host Purdue tonight. "I would hope that I have grown."
In a span of 10 months, three Iowa players transferred, another flunked out of school, and three more had run-ins with police -- including sophomore guard Pierre Pierce, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after originally being charged with third-degree sexual assault.
It seemed everyone was taking Alford to task -- whether it was the Iowa media, advocates for sexual-abuse victims or the local prosecuting attorney.
"What really hurt me for quite some time is that my character was being attacked and who I was as a person," Alford said during a Friday morning interview.
"It hurt in the beginning, but my faith has grown. Maybe that was something that was thrown my way because I've had so many things happen to me in life that are so good."
Added Tanya Alford, Steve's wife: "It was very difficult for him. He felt people like this were using this as an opportunity to find something nasty on him that wasn't there."
The Alford family recently moved into a new house, and Steve says he's committed to Iowa over the long term. He praises Iowa fans but admits that Iowa City is unlike any place he has ever lived.
"The one thing I've learned in the last five months is the liberalism of this community," Alford, a conservative Christian, said with a smile.
Johnson County (Iowa) prosecuting attorney J. Patrick White, who criticized Alford's handling of the Pierce case, hopes he's learned plenty. Iowa City is in Johnson County.
"I think Steve made more difficult the price and burden of sex-abuse victims generally, and the victim in this particular case, with insensitive remarks that were simply wrong," White said.
Alford's problems began even before the summer. The Hawkeyes were expected to contend for the Big Ten title last season behind the powerful tandem of Luke Recker and Reggie Evans. Instead, they went just 19-16 overall and 5-11 in the Big Ten.
"I think I compromised too much in allowing the seniors to dictate the conditioning, how long we would work in practice, those kind of things, instead of just saying, 'Hey, I've been here before as a player and a coach.' I know what I'm doing," he said.
That put the local fan base in a bad mood. The events of last summer only intensified it.
Juniors Sean Sonderleiter (marijuana possession) and Brody Boyd (possession of alcohol by a minor) were cited by police in July.
Sonderleiter said marijuana was left behind by someone who borrowed the car. Boyd said he wasn't drinking, but he was in violation of a local law that requires minors to be at least an arm's length away from alcoholic beverages.
Erek Hansen was declared academically ineligible. Fellow redshirt freshman Marcellus Sommerville transferred in August to Belleville (Ill.) Junior College and subsequently signed with Bradley. Incoming freshman Eric Rhodes got homesick soon after and left the team.
But that was nothing compared to the firestorm that erupted when Pierce was arrested after allegedly assaulting an Iowa female athlete on the night of Sept. 7.
"I totally believe he's innocent," Alford said during the Big Ten media day in Chicago in October.
At about that same time, lawyers for Pierce and the victim were nearing an agreement, whereby Pierce would plead guilty to a misdemeanor attempt-to-injure charge. He would receive a sentence of 200 hours of community service, undergo counseling and be redshirted by the Hawkeyes this season.
"Here is Steve Alford, in a position of authority in the athletic department, who is oblivious to the responsibility of what Pierce is going to plead guilty to," White said.
Alford said he knew nothing about the plea agreement negotiations and he takes strong exception to White's remarks. All he was attempting to do was support Pierce, who is practicing but not traveling with the team.
"For a public figure to attack another public figure without ever even meeting them is wrong," said Alford, who believes White's comments spurred protests before an Iowa exhibition game in November.
Those protesters say that Alford rushed to judgment and never made a statement denouncing violence against women.
"If he was a person that took sexual violence against women seriously, he would have reacted differently," said Jill Moffett, an Iowa graduate student and protest organizer.
Even though he was critical of Alford, White thinks the ongoing investigations by the university merely have allowed the case to fester.
No university representatives took part in the plea bargain negotiations, which were mediated by a Des Moines attorney, White said.
Alford still believes many of the reports on him and his players were unfair but said he no longer dwells on them.
Another thing that has helped is this Iowa team. The Hawkeyes are 11-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten. They are relying primarily on just six players.
"This team is playing hard," said Roger Mildenstein, the owner of the Fin & Feather, an Iowa City sporting goods store and Iowa season-ticket holder. "You can't help but root for them."
