Pierce Appoints Athletic Director

Marian McWilliams was appointed men’s athletic director at Pierce College on Friday by school President David Wolf.

McWilliams, 56, the women’s athletic director at Pierce since 1977, was selected from a field of three finalists. She replaces Bob O’Connor, who resigned last month after Pierce eliminated its football and men’s basketball programs.

A resident of Agoura, McWilliams assumes control of a 16-sport intercollegiate athletics program, the largest of the nine schools in the Los Angeles Community College District.

By combining the athletic director positions, Pierce saves about $5,000 in wages, officials said. That money will be put back into the $90,000 athletics budget.

Wolf called the consolidation “appropriate” in the context of athletic budget cutbacks in the district, and said the appointment of McWilliams begins Pierce’s move forward “after months of turmoil.”

The turmoil, in the form of layoffs to six full-time physical education instructors and the firing of 23 part-time coaches in the district, was not limited to Pierce. McWilliams said the cutbacks have faded from prominence.

“We need some permanence now,” she said. “I was concerned at one point this year because there was so much negative press with everything that occurred, but I think at this point our coaches have been able to reassure the students they are recruiting that we will have a program.”

McWilliams said that the football and men’s basketball programs should be restored by 1988. At that time, Wolf said the position of athletic director will be re-evaluated.

“This should not be interpretted as a forever-after thing,” Wolf said. “But at this time, it seems appropriate to authorize one person with rebuilding the program. If, when we reinstate football and men’s basketball, it becomes too much for one person, that may change. But this is it for the foreseeable future.”

In addition to being athletic director, McWilliams will return as coach of the women’s tennis team. She previously coached the Pierce team for 18 years through 1980.