UC Irvine List Could Grow to 15 Coaches

UC Irvine has met with or arranged interviews with at least seven coaches, and Athletic Director Tom Ford said Wednesday the school might interview as many as 10 to 15 candidates in its search for a men’s basketball coach.

Ventura College Coach Phil Mathews, who played and coached at UC Irvine, will be interviewed Saturday, Ventura Athletic Director Jerry Dunlap said Wednesday.

Mater Dei High School Coach Gary McKnight, who had not applied for the job, said he met with Ford Tuesday at the school’s invitation. McKnight said he was told Irvine would like to hire a coach with Division I experience. He did not interview with Irvine’s five-member search committee.

“I think they’re definitely looking for a Division I head coach,” McKnight said. “After that, they’ll go down the line and see who is the best person available, Division I assistants, Division II coaches, and in my case, high school. Talking to Tom (Ford), a Division I head coach is a priority.”

Mathews played at Irvine for two seasons ending in 1972 and was an assistant coach there from 1972-75. His Ventura teams have a record of 153-43 in six seasons. His 1987 team won the community college state championship and was led by Cedric Ceballos, who later played for Cal State Fullerton and is now with the Phoenix Suns.

Mathews also coached at Santa Ana Valley High School and was an assistant at Cal State Fullerton from 1981-85.

Ford has emphasized a desire to hire a coach with experience as a Division I head coach or assistant, and Wednesday he said that “in the long run, the best candidate for us is an assistant who has been in a (Division I) program,” explaining that assistants are closely involved with all phases of the program.

“We have to get somebody with credentials,” Ford said. “We need high energy.”

Irvine’s search committee is scheduled to meet today with Irvine assistant Ernie Carr.

Matt Kilcullen, a Notre Dame assistant, has confirmed that he has had phone conversations with Irvine, and a source close to the search said Kilcullen interviewed at Irvine Saturday. Kilcullen declined to confirm the interview, saying such information should come from the school.

Another coach, Bruce Weber, a Purdue assistant, could not be reached for comment, but had been registered at an Irvine hotel under a UC Irvine reservation. Weber has been at Purdue the past 11 seasons.

Irvine previously has met with Washington State Coach Kelvin Sampson and Villanova assistant John Olive. Sampson is in the process of renegotiating his contract at Washington State.