Friday, February 7, 2014

ANCHORAGE - Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball head coach Rusty Osborne will miss Saturday’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference game against Montana State Billings with a one-game suspension.

UAA athletic director Keith Hackett issued the suspension following Osborne’s actions in Thursday’s home game against Seattle Pacific. Osborne was issued two technical fouls in the last 2 minutes, 12 seconds of the game, resulting in his ejection.

Third-year assistant coach Cameron Turner will serve as acting coach for the MSUB game, which begins a 7 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

Osborne issued the following statement:

“On Thursday in an important conference game, I allowed my passion to affect the outcome. Our staff emphasizes the importance of valuing each possession and maintaining our composure during hard times, and I failed to demonstrate these important qualities. In an attempt to motivate our team, I allowed my passion to cross the line of acceptable behavior, which led directly to the team being penalized.

"I want to apologize to our players, staff, fans, opponents, and the entire UAA community. I have dedicated more than 22 years to help make UAA and Seawolf Athletics better institutions. On my return, I will strive to channel my passion for UAA in a more positive direction at all times.”