Top Assistants to Share Sherbeck Job For Now : Football: Fullerton College won’t fill head coaching job until after season. Marv Sampson and Glenn Thomas named interim co-coaches.

Fullerton College has decided to delay its search for a permanent football coach and has appointed long-time assistants Marv Sampson and Glenn Thomas as interim co-head coaches for this season, the college announced Monday.

The position opened when Hal Sherbeck, the winningest football coach in community college history, retired after 31 years. Sherbeck was also the school’s athletic director and dean of physical education.

Sherbeck made his announcement in mid-March, and Fullerton hoped to name a replacement no later than mid-July.

But Susan Beers, who was appointed physical education division dean last week, said the school “didn’t have enough of an affirmative action pool” in the first group of applicants, so the position would have had to be opened again.

The appointment of Beers, who is also the women’s athletic director, is expected to be formally approved at tonight’s North Orange County Community College Board meeting.

No men’s athletic director has been named, but the selection is expected to be made within the next couple of weeks.

Instead of repeating the month-long process to find a football coach, the staff decided to take the interim route and wait until the season ends to reopen the position, Beers said.

Fullerton, which opens its season Sept. 19 at Long Beach, has gone through spring and summer workouts without a head coach.

Sampson, the offensive coordinator, is starting his 30th season at Fullerton. Thomas, the offensive line coach, is starting his 20th season at the school.

Both are on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

Sherbeck had a record of 241-71-8, and won three national titles and 16 conference titles at Fullerton, which suffered only one losing season under him.