Campanelli’s Suit Dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by former California basketball coach Lou Campanelli over comments made by university officials when they fired him in 1993.

Federal courts are bound by an April 1996 state appellate court decision that the comments were statements of opinion, not fact, and were substantially true, U.S. District Judge Fern Smith said. That means the comments could not have been libelous, she said.

Campanelli was hired in 1986 and led Cal to the NCAA Tournament once and to the NIT three times. With a highly touted team struggling to a 10-7 record in February 1993, he was fired by then-athletic director Bob Bockrath and replaced by Todd Bozeman.

His suit against Bockrath and then-vice chancellor Daniel Boggan is based on comments attributed to both men by reporters.

Bockrath was quoted as saying he decided to fire Campanelli after hearing the coach’s “profane and abusive” speech to his players following a loss, and concluding the players were “beaten down and in trouble psychologically.”