Keller Named Pierce Women’s Basketball Coach

Kevin Keller has been hired as the women’s basketball coach at Pierce College, replacing Al Silver, the school announced Tuesday.

Keller, a boys’ assistant coach at Alemany High for the past two seasons, will try to restore some respectability to a program that advanced to the second round of the Southern California regionals in 1991 but played only five games before forfeiting the remainder of the 1992 season.

The team had been depleted by injuries and academic ineligibility.

Leslie Milke, the women’s coach at Cal State Northridge from 1983 to 1990, has been hired as Keller’s assistant.

“We’re hitting the recruiting trail real heavy,” Keller said. “Our biggest concern right now is to get some girls over here who want to play at Pierce.”

Keller, 31, is the younger brother of Alemany boys’ basketball Coach Kurt Keller.

Pierce was 21-10 in 1990-91 under Rob DiMuro, but the Brahmas stumbled to a 1-4 start under Silver.

Silver, a full-time teacher at Pacoima Junior High, resigned his coaching position because he believed he could not devote the proper amount of time to the job.