Search for Women’s Coach Resumes at Pepperdine

After announcing to a tearful team Friday afternoon that he had accepted the women’s coaching job at Pepperdine, Brea-Olinda girls’ basketball Coach Mark Trakh had a change of heart Friday night and decided to remain with the successful high school program.

Trakh, who led the Ladycats to four state championships and established a tradition as deep and rich as many college programs, said he phoned Pepperdine Athletic Director Wayne Wright on Friday night to decline the offer.

“I felt I could do more good here at this school and in this community than if I left,” he said. “The clincher was spending the afternoon with my team.”

Trakh, who had not yet signed his one-year contract but had planned to do so early this week, would have succeeded Ron Fortner, who resigned in April after 10 years and a 131-153 record with the Waves.

Trakh had sought to coach a college team for several years. Now, the possibility of his winning an unprecedented fifth state championship--fourth consecutive--and appearing in his sixth final can come true. His teams have won six Southern Section titles. The Ladycats are 356-42 in 13 seasons under Trakh, 35.

Trakh initially felt compelled to accepted Pepperdine’s offer because he didn’t want to look back and regret not taking the opportunity, but after changing his mind, said: “I always felt I wanted to go to a Final Four, win a national championship and so forth. But then I realized what I have here at Brea isn’t so bad. . . . No, this is great.”

Ladycat assistant John Hattrup had planned to interview Monday at Pepperdine for an assistant’s job, but will stay at Brea.

Trakh was a finalist for Division I coaching jobs at Cal State Fullerton last year and Cal State Los Angeles in 1991. He turned down the Chapman College position in 1989.

Pepperdine has six returners from a team that was 15-15 and finished third in the West Coast Conference (7-7).

Although Wright was disappointed with Trakh’s decision, he said there are plenty of qualified candidates.

“We have three or four candidates, so-called semifinalists, who I was impressed with,” he said. “We also have two or three more people interviewing (for the job) that we didn’t have before. I’m hoping to finish this as quickly as possible.”

Wright said he would like to have a coach hired before school starts Aug. 20.

Sean Waters contributed to this story.