Two More Titan Assistant Football Coaches Resign

Two more Cal State Fullerton assistant football coaches have resigned, bringing to six the number of coaches who have departed since the Titans’ 1-11 season last fall.

Offensive coordinator Bill Wentworth, who spent three seasons under Fullerton Coach Gene Murphy, was named receivers coach at the University of Washington on Monday, and defensive line coach Gary Spielbuehler has left after three seasons to pursue other job opportunities.

Three assistants--Larry Manfull, Don Morel and Dale Bunn--resigned in December, and another, Hue Jackson, left in February after the school nearly dropped the program.

Manfull, Morel and Jackson have landed assistant coaching jobs, Manfull at the University of Mary, an NAIA school in Bismarck, N.D., Morel at La Verne and Jackson with the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football. Bunn is working in his brother’s trucking business.

Wentworth said the chance to work in a nationally ranked, Pacific-10 conference program was more of a factor in his decision to leave than financial problems at Fullerton.

“It’s hard to say what would have happened if this job didn’t come up,” Wentworth said. “I have such positive feelings about what we were able to do here. My difficulties don’t relate to people, but circumstances at Fullerton make it hard to work there.”

Spielbuehler, who spent 10 seasons at Glendale College before coming to Fullerton, left because he isn’t happy with the direction of the program, and he isn’t convinced that fund-raising efforts to keep it afloat will be successful.

“Things aren’t peachy keen there, so I decided to make a change,” he said. “We’re not on the same plane with 90% of the schools we play, and it’s very difficult to have a chance to win. I’m not sure they’re going to be able to back the program like they say they can.”

Murphy said he will be able to replace five of the six coaches but probably not until Aug. 1. Five-year assistant Jim Chaney will take over as offensive coordinator, and Murphy said graduate assistants Tom Cable and Rich Sheriff will coach the offensive line and wide receivers, respectively, during spring football in April.