Rules Violations Were Unrelated to Resignations

The resignations of four assistant football coaches and the dismissal of another from Cal Lutheran in the last month were unrelated to recruits trying out in violation of NCAA rules, the coaches say.

“It was a violation, yeah,” said Jim Bauer, who served as defensive coordinator for five years before resigning June 17, “but it had nothing to do with me resigning. It’s hard for me to pinpoint the factors. The negatives just outweighed the positives.”

Although offensive line coach Pete Alamar and receivers coach Rich Watkins resigned to take jobs at other colleges, the dismissal of defensive back coach Don Reyes was a major factor in the resignation of Bauer and Gene Uebelhardt. Reyes, Bauer and Uebelhardt played together on CLU’s NAIA national championship team in 1971 and all three teach and coach track at Royal High in Simi Valley.

“If Donnie hadn’t been dismissed, we’d still be there,” said Uebelhardt, who added that there were other reasons for his decision to resign. “That was the last straw.”

Said Reyes: “When I received the letter of dismissal I brought it to Jim and Gene and said, ‘You guys want to read something?’ They were kind of shocked.”

Uebelhardt and Bauer, who already had received contracts to coach this season, resigned within a week.

“The dismissal was not handled very professionally,” Reyes said. “After 17 years of association with the university, Coach Shoup could have shown the courtesy of bringing me in to tell me in person.”

Kingsmen Coach Bob Shoup said he informed all the assistant coaches in May that they may not be asked to return.

“Each coach was told specifically during interviews that this was a new contract, new year,” Shoup said. The fact that contracts were offered to some coaches and not others simply means they came out better in the interviews. Why should I hire a coach when I could get a better one?”

Shoup also maintained that he spoke with Reyes.

“I spoke face to face with each coach during the interview process,” Shoup said. “I left for Minnesota on a church conference and told them I wouldn’t be there when contracts were mailed.”

Neither Bauer nor Uebelhardt had anything negative to say about Shoup, however.

“The way Coach Shoup has treated me has been nothing but excellent,” Uebelhardt said.

Dan MaGinnis, former assistant at UC Davis, accepted a contract from CLU on Friday to coach defensive backs. He joins Gary Patterson, also a former UC Davis coach, Bernie Kyman, Ernie Sandlan and Eric Riegert on the Kingsmen staff.

Last season, its second in the Division II Western Football Conference, Cal Lutheran had a record of 3-8 and 0-6 in conference games. The Kingsmen have a two-year record of 1-10 in the WFC.