Odd Timing on Resignation : Volleyball: CS Northridge women’s coach quit about a month after sexual harassment charge was made.

Walt Ker, the former Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball coach, was formally accused of sexual harassment about one month before he abruptly resigned his position after 14 years, according to a team member who said she filed the complaint.

The player, who declined to be identified, said she and another player filed a written, confidential report with a member of a university committee known as CRASH, the Committee to Receive Allegations of Sexual Harassment, in early December.

The player said that she initially informed a member of CRASH about alleged sexual harassment by Ker during the regular season but asked that no action be taken before the season was over in early December.

The player, who said Ker began making unwelcome sexual advances during the 1991-92 school year, declined to discuss the specific nature of the charges with The Times.

Ker, 39, denied that he acted improperly and insisted that he resigned in order to spend more time with his wife Cathy Miceli, a Northridge All-American whom he coached in 1979 and ‘80, and their three sons.

Sophomore Heather Anderson said that Ker told the team at a meeting before the formal announcement of his resignation on Jan. 7 that he was sorry. According to Anderson, he didn’t elaborate because “he knew we knew.”

“He told us that he made a mistake and that he would get counseling,” Anderson said.

Sophomore Ana Kristich, who was at the team meeting, also said that Ker told the players that he would seek counseling.

Ker did not answer when asked by The Times if he was seeing a counselor.

Bob Hiegert, Northridge athletic director, would not comment on Ker’s departure from the school, but did say: “Once the information was given there was action taken as fast and timely as can be taken.”

Hiegert refused to be more specific and said that the situation was not handled at his level, but at the vice-presidential level.

Ronald Kopita, vice president of student affairs, said: “I’m going to stand by what was in the press release. I’m saying that Coach Ker resigned for personal reasons, to devote more time to his family.”

Most current players contacted by The Times would not comment on Ker’s leaving the school other than to attribute it to his desire to spend more time with his family.

Anderson said Ker told them: “for my family’s sake, keep it to yourself.”

According to Anderson, a meeting of seniors, juniors, sophomores and assistant coach Angela Brinton-Collins was called in mid-October to discuss Ker’s alleged behavior. Anderson said that the players who were said to have been approached by Ker warned teammates to be careful around him and advised them to avoid situations in which they would be alone with Ker.

Anderson said that Brinton-Collins told the team that she would report Ker’s actions to administrators. Brinton-Collins would not discuss if or when she talked to school officials.

“I did not sit on any information,” Brinton-Collins said. “If I had information to give, I gave it. It was my responsibility as a coach.”

Ker’s resignation on Jan. 7 caught most people by surprise. The former Northridge player was passionate about coaching and at the pinnacle of a successful career. In only their third season at Division I, the Matadors were 27-8 and advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they lost in the first round to USC on Dec. 5.

Given his age, success, and self-professed love of coaching, Ker’s departure from Northridge was odd. He was returning three starters and several top reserves for next season and was recruiting until the last week of December.

Said one standout player from the early ‘80s who asked not to be identified: “It is bizarre and upsetting. Walt Ker’s career as a coach was great. To see it end like this. . . . I’m sure this is what people will remember. They won’t remember what a great coach he was.”

The same player alleged, however, that Ker made suggestions of a sexual nature to her, although she ignored them.

“I said to him, ‘Get out of here! What are you doing?’ ” the player said. “We couldn’t believe it. Then we’d laugh at him. We would tell him to leave us alone and he did.

“I don’t think any of us saw it as sexual harassment. We saw it as a come-on and blew it off. He never did it in a context of practice or team trips. He did it in social situations.”

Ker denied that he sexually harassed members of the 1992 team.

“That’s not true,” he said. “I resigned so that I could spend more time with my family. That’s it. I don’t have any other comments.”