Budget Cuts Claim Eight Jobs at SDSU : Athletics: Six coaching positions eliminated, and further cutbacks might follow.

Members of the San Diego State athletic department learned in a staff meeting Tuesday morning that their department will be trimmed by eight positions in another round of budget cuts--this one sparked by the California State University system.

Between cuts this month in staff, grants-in-aid and operating expenses, SDSU has lopped off about $275,000 from the proposed 1991-92 budget, said Jim Herrick, associate athletic director for business affairs.

Apparently, this isn’t the end. According to a department source, another $90,000 in cuts probably will follow, part of SDSU’s attempt to reach a goal of reducing by $365,000 the 1991-92 proposed budget.

For now, six coaching positions and two others will be terminated effective July 1, the beginning of the 1991-92 fiscal year. The coaching cuts include Jim Cerveny, cross country coach; Diana Falar, women’s golf coach; three graduate assistants from the football program and one from the men’s basketball program.

Also terminated were Linda Keck, an assistant sports information director, and Heather Bell, a business affairs account clerk.

“We played the what-if scenario so many different ways,” said Fred Miller, SDSU athletic director. “The whole scenario is that the state of California cut a swath through every university. . . .

“What we did was keep all programs intact and skinnied the staff down that much more.”

Those whose positions will be terminated were told late Monday afternoon.

“It hurts,” said Cerveny, who saw his entire track program dropped for budgetary reasons in 1989 and then brought back a year later after he raised $120,000. “I feel like things could have probably worked out to the betterment of everyone had we talked about it prior to making any announcement. We made it work before. What’s wrong with coming back and talking about raising more money?

“The one thing is the program is saved, and that’s what I worked very hard for.”

Gary Stathas, men’s track coach, will assume the men’s cross country coaching duties and Rhan Sheffield, women’s track coach, will take over as the women’s cross country coach.

Former football coach Denny Stolz will apparently have the women’s golf team added to his men’s golf coaching duties, although he was out of town and could not be reached.

“I really don’t want to comment beyond that,” Miller said. “I’ve been attempting to get ahold of him.”

Al Luginbill, SDSU football coach, said he isn’t worried about the reduction of graduate assistants in his program. The NCAA allows a football program to have up to five graduate assistants, so Luginbill still will have two.

“That’s not going to make a difference between winning and losing football games,” Luginbill said. “If you’re talking recruiting budget, equipment or travel, then you’re talking about things that affect us.”

Jim Brandenburg, SDSU basketball coach, also took the loss of a graduate assistant in stride.

“I think it will have a minimal effect,” Brandenburg said. “We were going to lose a coach a year down the line (because of NCAA rules changes), so in essence what we’ve done is just lopped off a graduate assistant a year early.”

In early April, SDSU restructured its department into Tier I sports--football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball--and Tier II sports--soccer, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s track and field, cross country, men’s volleyball and men’s tennis.

At that time, grants-in-aid were cut by 3% in Tier I sports (a total of $28,000) and by 25% in Tier II ($26,000); operating expenses were cut by 5% in Tier I sports ($49,000) and by 25% in Tier II sports ($22,000); and the department’s miscellaneous operating budget was cut by 5% ($26,000). Coaches in the Tier II sports are following departmental guidelines and selling football season tickets in an attempt to raise money.

This week’s staff cuts reduced the proposed budget by another $122,500--$97,500 for the staff positions and $25,000 for the graduate/student assistant positions.

“This is a very sad day,” said baseball coach Jim Dietz after Tuesday’s staff meeting. “You hate to ever see good people go.

“This university is going to be more dependent than ever on its alumni buying tickets. Even if they can’t go, buy them and give them away.”