Hollywood in the Summer, Loyola in Winter : Coach Directs Cage Performers to New Heights

After several dismal seasons, the women’s basketball program at Loyola is definitely on the upswing. However, with the success, modest though it may be, has come problems.

Within a four-day period recently, Loyola Coach Todd Corman, the man orchestrating the program’s turnaround, was ejected from a game and his team walked out on him during practice at Gersten Pavilion.

“There was bad officiating,” Corman said of his ejection during a game against Gonzaga University, “and I was infuriated. I just lost my temper, and I shouldn’t have done it.”

Corman was ejected in the second half of the game, which was played in Spokane, Wash. The Lions lost by 14. He yelled at an official after Loyola guard Lynn Flanagan was called for charging.

“It was an extremely physical and loosely officiated game,” said Gonzaga Coach Mike Peterson. “And after that call Todd was in the middle of the court fighting it. He looked like a baseball manager.”

Three days later, Corman put his team through intense running drills for more than an hour. When team members asked why they were doing all the running, Corman began yelling. Players responded by leaving.

“His behavior last week was not as a proper representative of this university,” said Quinn, “but Todd has done an awful lot of good things for this program. He talked with his team, and I’m confident that he can keep this ship afloat.”

The team is definitely afloat.

The third-year Loyola coach has produced more victories in a single season than any other coach in the program’s nine-year history.

Before this season (the team is currently 12-12), the best Loyola record was in 1983 when the Lions went 10-14 under Coach Francis O’Meara.

Corman already has more victories this season than his first two combined, when he won eight and lost 48. He inherited a team that had a 3-23 record under former Santa Monica High School Coach Dick Beede, who decided to retire after one season at Loyola.

“Those two years were very frustrating,” Corman said, “because they were someone else’s players. Talent plays the biggest role at this level, and when you don’t have it and you have to watch somebody else’s players get killed every game, that’s tough.”

It may still seem difficult to believe the Lions are doing well since they’ve lost six conference games while winning two. But the record is not indicative of Loyola’s performance.

The first three conference games against the University of San Diego, University of Portland and Gonzaga resulted in three losses by a total of seven points. And in last week’s game against Santa Clara, Loyola lost by only one point.

“We’re still very young,” Corman said, “and we still make a lot of mistakes. I mean, we have a lot of young kids in key spots. We are going to get better.”

Corman is regarded as a top-notch recruiter.

“I think the main thing is that he really sells your parents when he recruits you,” said forward Stephanie Fleischaker, who was recruited out of Foothill High School by Corman but quit basketball after a knee injury. “He knows the right things to say, and as you can see, he’s done a great job getting good players.”

Even Ron Fortner, who coaches rival Pepperdine University, says Corman’s dedication is making a big difference.

“The key thing,” Fortner said, “is that Todd has put forth the effort. The program is still not funded right and he’s definitely not paid enough, but he didn’t sit back and complain about it. He’s really done the work to improve that team.”

This season Corman added a pair of freshman guards who lead the team in scoring.

Kristen Bruich and Lynn Flanagan, both all-CIF players last year, each are averaging about 11 points. Both had several Division I schools interested in them.

Corman, who previously coached boys basketball, has discovered that coaching women is tougher than he thought it would be.

“I thought it was going to be easier,” he said, grinning. “I thought it would be all basketball, but women are so much more emotional. You have to explain every little thing to them. I think maybe I assume too much for them.”

Loyola Assistant Coach Cynthia Pereira-Atencio says that after two seasons, Corman is communicating better with players.

“Todd is still more knowledgeable (about) the men’s and boys’ game,” she said, “but he’s learned to adjust to the women’s game. Now he really follows women’s basketball and he really is committed to the program.”

Corman had only coached boys high school basketball before taking over at Loyola in 1985. He spent seven years at four different high schools, including Oak Park High near his home in Sherman Oaks.

Even after 10 years of coaching, you’d never mistake Corman for your typical coach and he isn’t. During games he looks more like Mr. Hollywood, sporting fancy threads and a clean-cut look.

“I remember the first time I saw him,” said Loyola team captain Amy Atkinson, laughing. “He was recruiting me and he walked up to the door in black-and-white checked baggy pants, a dressy burgundy shirt and funky shoes with no socks. Oh, and his Vaurnet sunglasses, of course. Definitely not your typical-looking basketball coach.”

If Corman looks a little show biz, it is because he is. During the summer, he’s a Hollywood director.

“I like the entertainment business,” Corman said, “but I love sports. I’ve always been a sports fan and I really just enjoy athletics.”

Even when he working in film or television, basketball isn’t far from his mind.

“I remember when I first met him,” said actress Jennifer Runyon, who is Corman’s fiancee. “We were filming a movie in the Virgin Islands and there was only one house that had a phone. After a long day at work, Todd would spend all his time in that house on that phone. We’d ask, ‘What on earth are you doing?’ and he’d just say, ‘I’m recruiting, recruiting girls.’

“At first I was confused. I didn’t know what to think until I found out he was also a coach.”

Corman was exposed to show business before basketball.

His father and uncle founded New World Pictures, a production company, in the mid 1960s. Then, his father became vice president at 20th Century Fox.

Corman followed in the family tradition and attended USC where he majored in film. Last summer, he was an assistant director for the television series, “Cagney and Lacey” and he’s also been involved with television shows including “The Fall Guy,” “Riptide” and “Hotel.”

He says his jobs as director and basketball coach share similarities, even though they seem worlds apart.

“It happens in both,” he said. “You create a product, put it out on the floor and it’s a reflection of you.”

Corman said he believes that this year’s team can finish somewhere in the middle of the West Coast Athletic Conference instead of at the bottom. He is confident that his squad can win the WCAC title within two years.