Northridge’s Burt Interested in Post at San Jose State

Cal State Northridge football Coach Bob Burt said Thursday that he is interested in the head coaching job at San Jose State. The position was vacated Thursday when Spartan Coach Terry Shea accepted a position on Coach Bill Walsh’s staff at Stanford.

“You’d be crazy not to be interested,” Burt said. “Anybody would look at that job and think it’s a pretty good job. You never, in any profession, stop looking at opportunities.

“That doesn’t mean you are unhappy where you are. You can’t tell me (new Arizona State coach) Bruce Snyder was unhappy at Cal.”

Burt said that he has not officially applied for the San Jose State job, nor has he spoken directly with anyone at the university. Under normal circumstances, San Jose State representatives first would contact Northridge Athletic Director Bob Hiegert and request permission to speak to a member of the school’s coaching staff.

Burt, 50, has compiled a 37-28 record in six seasons at Northridge. He replaced Tom Keele, who was fired after Northridge went a combined 6-15 in the 1984 and ’85 seasons.

In Burt’s first season, Northridge was 8-3. In 1990, he led the Matadors to their first Western Football Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Last season, Northridge went 3-7, the only losing season in Burt’s tenure. Burt signed a three-year contract with CSUN before the season.

“It’s early for me to speculate, but this is the time of the year for people to be looking to fill positions,” Hiegert said. “(Burt’s) had a good tenure here so it’s natural for people to want him.”

In a prepared statement, San Jose State Athletic Director Tom Brennan said that he already has received several telephone calls from coaches interested in the vacancy.

“We are encouraging input from all constituencies--campus groups such as faculty, staff and students and organizations like the American Football Coaches Assn.,” Brennan said.

Brennan, the athletics board, and university President J. Handel Evans will be involved in selecting the new coach but Evans will have final approval.

“We want to act as quickly as possible, but at the same time not overlook any possible candidates,” Brennan said.

In 1990, Burt interviewed for the Nevada Las Vegas job, which went to Jim Strong. San Jose State, like UNLV, plays at the Division I-A level in the Big West Conference. Under Shea, the Spartans went 15-6-2 the past two seasons.

Northridge, a Division II program, will move up to the Division I-AA ranks in 1993.

With three transfers from Division I teams--including former Hawaii running back Jamal Farmer--and an offensive line Burt described as perhaps the best he has signed, Northridge has enjoyed a fast start in recruiting for the 1992 season.