He’s Building From the Bottom : Community colleges: Robert Hager tries to revive the West Los Angeles College football program, which has not won a game since 1985.

Taking the job of football coach at West Los Angeles College in recent seasons has been comparable to going willingly to the guillotine.

Jim Babcock spent several seasons as the Oiler head coach and had developed a competitive program, but WLAC was forced to drop football after the 1985 season because of budget cuts in the Los Angeles Community College District.

In 1988, the school said football would be restored that fall, and Steve Bresnahan, then an assistant coach at Cal State Long Beach, was hired as head coach in March.

Bresnahan resigned three weeks later, citing family commitments. Dick Jones, another former 49er assistant who had been hired as Bresnahan’s assistant at WLAC, got the top job in April, too late to do much recruiting.

Jones resigned as head coach late last year after the Oilers had struggled through two 0-10 seasons. The Oilers have lost 21 consecutive games and last won in 1985.

In February, Robert Hager, then athletic director and football coach at West Hills College in Coalinga, was hired as WLAC’s head coach. But he was unable to take over on a full-time basis until May, after many of the top high school seniors had decided on a community college.

The Oilers will open their season when they play host to Chaffee College on Saturday at 1 p.m. But the starting lineup for the Oilers could be a mystery until the kickoff.

Hager has only three holdovers from last year: wide receiver John Howard, safety Lester Grice and 6-foot-3, 280-pound offensive tackle Sean Castleberry.

Those three will probably see action Saturday, but it is unclear which of the more than 50 newcomers will be in the lineup.

Hager did not want to name any freshmen who have impressed him in practices. “It’s hard to say right now; I really don’t want to speculate,” he said. “We’re a very, very young team, and so far there really have not been legitimate standouts. We’ll see what rises to the forefront as we go through our schedule.”

If Hager sticks to his plan of not having a set lineup, that might keep opponents guessing--but not for long. Difficult days seem to be ahead for the Oilers, but Hager remains optimistic.

“At the beginning of any program that has hit rock bottom, there are very discouraging and very positive days,” he said. “But I believe the potential here is tremendous.”

He was reminded that it has been some time since WLAC had a strong program, one that produced such standouts as quarterback Warren Moon and wide receiver Steven Baker, Hamilton High graduates who went on to play in the NFL.

“I see those days returning,” Hager said. “We need to be committed to bringing those days back and to resolve to make the program better every single day.”

Hager has had good days and bad ones in his coaching career.

In the 1980s, he was an assistant at Vanderbilt University, Eastern Michigan and Western Kentucky. A high point came in his four seasons as coach of St. Mary’s Prep School in Orchard Lake, Mich., near Detroit. His record there was 29-9, and his 1988 St. Mary’s team went undefeated and was ranked first in the state by wire services.

He reached his nadir in his two seasons at West Hills College, where his teams struggled to 1-9 records.

Hager said that in his first year, West Hills lost to Allan Hancock, 60-9, but that last year West Hills was edged by Hancock, 13-12, after missing a field goal attempt that would have won the game.

“You can build on 13-12, but not on 60-9,” he said. “Our No. 1 objective (at WLAC) is to be in every game to give us an opportunity to win a game.”

He said the best way to reach that objective is with an option offense. “We are very, very committed to option football,” he said. “I think the option is the best way to go.”

His defensive coordinator and assistant head coach is Tom Phillips, who was on his staff at West Hills and was also an assistant at Taft College.

Other Oiler assistants include WLAC Athletic Director Jim Raack, a former head coach at the school, defensive line; Marlin Briscoe, who played for Denver and Miami in the NFL, wide receivers; Jim Brooks, an Oiler assistant last year, offensive line; Marcus Porter, defensive secondary, and Jim Webb, recruiting coordinator.