Artists’ Coach Must Miss Rest of League Season

Michael Soylular, Laguna Beach High girls’ volleyball coach, has been suspended for the rest of the Pacific Coast League season, and the Artists will forfeit a league match for violating Southern Section rules in a recent alumni match.

League principals voted, 6-0, Friday morning to recommend the suspension of Soylular, who allowed three non-alumni to play in a scrimmage last Wednesday, a violation of section rules.

Laguna Beach officials acted on the recommendation, suspending Soylular for the Artists’ three remaining league matches.

“I think the league acted tremendously unfair,” Soylular said. “I sat out two games (this week), and we took a forfeit. What else do they want to accomplish with punishing the coach?

“It sounds like a very harsh punishment because it is. I’m a scapegoat now. They used me as a scapegoat to make sure the Southern Section rules are implemented.”

Chris Whiting, Laguna Beach’s freshman-sophomore coach, will replace Soylular for the remainder of the league season. Whiting filled in for Soylular during two league victories this week.

Tim Sullivan, Laguna Beach assistant principal, said Soylular will be allowed to coach the Artists in the Santa Barbara tournament Oct. 30-31.

Soylular is eligible to return full time for the Southern Section playoffs, which begin Nov. 12. The Artists are the defending section Division I champions.

“We wanted to send a strong message to the coaches to abide by the letter and intent of the rules,” Sullivan said. “But we also wanted to minimize the effect of (the punishment) on the players.

“The Santa Barbara tournament has several of the top teams in Southern California, and we wanted to provide the (Laguna Beach) players with their coach. We didn’t want it to have any undue effect on the tournament.”

Soylular said he doesn’t understand why he is banned from league play but is allowed to return for the Santa Barbara tournament.

“If I’m 110% guilty, then I should be terminated,” he said. “I’ll sleep extremely comfortable. I have no guilt. I was honest. I didn’t go behind the bushes and hide about it.”

A coin flip between Costa Mesa and Century, the fifth-place teams in the league, determined Laguna Beach’s forfeit will be to Costa Mesa. Because of the non-alumni participation in the scrimmage, it will count toward the Artists’ overall schedule. That gives Laguna Beach 21 matches, one more than section rules allow.

The forfeit of next Thursday’s home match against Costa Mesa will give Laguna Beach, ranked second in Orange County and third in Southern Section Division I, its first league loss since 1988.

The Artists are 11-0, 6-0 in league, entering next Tuesday’s match against Century. Should they win that match, the forfeit Thursday would end the Artists’ league winning streak at 37.

“I learned a good lesson about a rule the hard way,” Soylular said. “And I learned that I don’t have all good people around me. I hope they accomplished their goal.

“I know all the rules and regulations now, and they better have facts to back up what they say. These petty, nit-picking things are not going to work. What I did was unintentional.”