DAYTON DAILY NEWS                   Copyright (c) 1996, Dayton Newspapers Inc.DATE: Saturday, November 16, 1996            TAG: 9611160162EDITION: CITY           SECTION: NEWS        PAGE: 1A SOURCE: By Chick Ludwig DAYTON DAILY NEWS                                WSU FIRES COACH                                                                 UNDERHILL REJECTS DEAL   Ralph Underhill, the Wright State University men's basketball coach whose work the past 18 years brought national respectability to the program, was fired Friday, four days after his shoplifting arrest.   Underhill was charged with petty theft Monday after security guards claimedhe walked out of a Beavercreek Meijer store without paying for five bottles ofvitamins valued at $38.41.   Athletic Director Mike Cusack, who announced the firing, said the coach hastold police he made a mistake and that he did not "have enough money, but thatit was no excuse."   Five years ago, the 55-year-old coach was convicted of drunken driving in Kettering.   Cusack said the university had offered Underhill a deal that would have preserved the coach's pension plan. Underhill, through his attorney, rejected the offer, according to Cusack.   Neither Underhill nor the attorney, Anthony J. Zaharieff, would comment on the firing. Zaharieff has scheduled a news conference at his downtown Xenia office for 9:30 a.m. today. Underhill has pleaded not guilty to the theft charge.   Underhill's firing came just four days before the team plays its first exhibition game Tuesday night against a Croatian team. Raider players and coaches said they were saddened by the firing, but that the team still expectsto have a winning season.   "Everything was in three or four days," junior center Steno Kos, whom Underhill recruited from Klosterneuberg, Austria, said of the firing. "A decision that big? But all the baskets are still there and we're still here. We've got to keep on working no mat    Desk: Ralph Underhill main story for Saturday; Chick   Ralph Underhill, the Wright State University men's basketball coach whose work the past 18 years brought national respectability to the program, was unceremoniously fired Friday, four days after his shoplifting arrest.   Underhill was charged with petty theft Monday after security guards claimedhe walked out of a Beavercreek Meijer store without paying for five bottles ofvitamins valued at $38.41.   Athletic director Mike Cusack, who announced the firing, said the coach hastold police he made a "mistake"  and that he did not "have enough money but that it was no excuse."   Five years ago, the 55-year-old coach was convicted of drunken driving in Kettering.   Cusack said the university had offered Underhill a deal that would have preserved the coach's pension plan. Underhill, through his attorney, rejected the offer, according to Cusack.   Neither Underhill nor the attorney, Anthony J. Zaharieff, would comment on the firing. Zaharieff has scheduled a news conference at his downtown Xenia office for 9:30 a.m. today. Underhill has pleaded not guilty to the theft charge.   Underhill's firing came just four days before the team plays its first exhibition game Tuesday night against a Croatian team. Raider players and coaches said they were saddened by the firing, but that the team still expectsto have a winning season.   "Everything was in three or four days," junior center Steno Kos, whom Underhill recruited from Klosterneuberg, Austria, said of the firing. "A decision that big? But all the baskets are still there and we're still here. We've got to keep on working no matter what."   Interim coach Jim Brown met with his assistants during Cusack's news conference.   "It's a very, very sad and unfortunate situation," said Brown, a WSU assistant for 26 seasons. "I can't get it off my mind, but I will. I'm lookingforward to (the exhibition game) Tuesday night."   "I worked with him for 12 years and he always treated me with respect," trainer Tony Ortiz said of Underhill. "I hope there are better days ahead for him."   News of Underhill's firing swept quickly across campus and drew mixed reviews from students.   "I wasn't surprised," said Kari Shuman, a junior from Hilliard. "But I'm kind of upset because he was a really good coach."   Devender Ponnama, a graduate student from India, said the punishment was too severe for the alleged crime.   "I'm feeling very sorry for him," he said. "He's done a lot of things for the school. They should have fined him, but not fired him. If he had done something big, yes, but $40 worth of vitamins? Maybe something else has gone wrong with him."   Others weren't so sympathetic.   "When you're a person of leadership at the university, whether you're the president or a professor, you're always at the mercy of the public and the administration," said Dave Jackson, a senior from Columbus. "If you get caughtdoing something like that, you're probably on your way out the door. If he stayed, it would hurt us in the long run as far as recruiting. It was in the best interest of the university to release him."   Added Ryan Shoemaker, a freshman from Leipsic, near Findlay: "What the university did was right because they already gave him a second chance."   WSU officials said they were still working out the details of Underhill's pension.   Underhill, 55, signed a two-year contract in February. It called for him toearn a base salary of $75,000 a year through June 30, 1998.   Cusack said Zaharieff had told university officials that Underhill wouldn'trespond to the shoplifting allegations during a  meeting with Cusack and WSU Associate Athletic Director Paul Newman on Tuesday night.   Cusack said Zaharieff again refused to explain the situation in a Thursday meeting.   "In recognition of Mr. Underhill's long service to Wright State University,special accommodations were offered which would preserve Mr. Underhill's pension and service plan. This offer was rejected by Mr. Underhill's attorney,Mr. Zaharieff, (Friday) morning," Cusack added.   Cusack did not take questions Friday after reading a prepared statement in the Berry Room at the Ervin J. Nutter Center.   Underhill, hired as WSU's third head coach May 18, 1978, guided the Raidersfor 18 seasons to a 356-162 record and .648 winning percentage.   He had 16 winning seasons, including 10 with 20 or more victories.   Underhill has a pretrial hearing scheduled for 1:20 p.m. Dec. 2 in FairbornMunicipal Court.LENGTH: Long  :  119 LINESILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTO: Ralph UnderhillSUBJ: COLLEGE BASKETBALL   COACHES   THEFT   DISMISSAL NA: RALPH UNDERHILL   WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY AT: SHOPLIFTING ENHANCER: REF1