Job Switch Grounded by Controversy

Two coaching friends got together recently and decided it would be fun to coach a women’s junior college basketball team together.

But it was not that simple.

Amid problems with affirmative-action guidelines and possible recruiting complications, the friends’ plan has become mired in controversy.

More than two weeks ago, Rob Di Muro resigned as the women’s basketball coach at Pierce College with the intention of becoming the assistant coach at Canyons.

The switch was a curious one. Not only was Di Muro, 26, giving up a head coaching position to become an assistant, he was taking a $1,000 cut in his coaching stipend. Di Muro, however, said that building the Pierce program had drained him and that he looked forward to sharing the burden with Canyons Coach Jeff Dunlap. There also was the possibility he someday would become the head coach at Canyons.

Dunlap, 28, had prepared a press release announcing Di Muro’s hiring, but it proved premature. Di Muro did not have the job.

Dunlap, Canyons women’s coach, said he thought that as head coach he was entitled to hire his own assistants, but he had unwittingly circumvented affirmative-action hiring guidelines that mandate a search for qualified minority candidates.

“The biggest mistake that was ever made here was that I sent out that release,” Dunlap said. “It was my own mistake in not understanding the proper procedures in hiring.”

Jim Walker, Canyons’ assistant superintendent-vice president, said he talked to Dunlap about hiring procedures after the incident. But he said that as far as disciplinary action is concerned “that’s probably about as far as it’s going to go.”

Meanwhile, Di Muro finds himself without a coaching job. He tendered his resignation at Pierce on April 11, and, although the school has not hired a replacement, he is unlikely to return.

“If I don’t coach next year, I could use the break,” Di Muro said.

Walker said he did not believe the premature announcement would jeopardize Di Muro’s candidacy. Although Di Muro’s record makes him qualified for the job, John Drislane, Canyons’ dean of personnel, said a search will be made for a woman candidate.

“When we hire an assistant basketball coach . . . we have to give some consideration to gender, and I would very much like to see a female hired for the job,” Drislane said. “Because it has become sensitive, I’m personally arranging the interview committee and seeing it has balance on it.”

Of eight part-time employees in the Canyons athletic department, excluding dance instructors, seven are men. Canyons will begin advertising the position Sunday, and Drislane said the search might lengthen if qualified women candidates are not found.

“I really can’t think they’ll find anybody more qualified than me,” said Di Muro, who led Pierce to the second round of the Southern California regional in only his second season at the school.

Di Muro said that Pierce officials were angry over his decision to leave and also were concerned about the possibility of players following their coach to Canyons.

“I was concerned because I thought there might be some tampering with our students,” said Richard Moyer, Pierce’s athletic administrator and dean of academic affairs. “They’re in a different district so there are contact rules.”

In fact, three Pierce players already are enrolled at Canyons. Yolanda Davidian and Keli McCaskill have enrolled for the spring semester, and Luisa Parra has enrolled for the fall. All three are also still enrolled at Pierce, according to school records.