NOTEBOOK / SEAN WATERS : Pepperdine Goes Back to the Drawing Board in Search of a Coach

Pepperdine will reconsider applicants for its vacant women’s coaching job after Brea-Olinda High girls’ basketball Coach Mark Trakh turned down the job.

Trakh, who has led Brea-Olinda to four state championships, changed his mind about the job Friday after meeting with the Ladycats to announce his decision. Trakh had accepted the job June 16, but had not signed a contract. He was to succeed Ron Fortner, who resigned in April after a 10-year record of 131-153, including a 15-15 last season.

Trakh, 35, notified Pepperdine Athletic Director Wayne Wright about his decision late Friday evening.

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

Trakh also guided Brea-Olinda to six Southern Section titles and 11 consecutive Orange League crowns. He has a 356-42 record in 13 seasons.

The Waves return six players from last season’s team, including senior point guard Aimee McDaniel, an All-West Coast Conference player who played for Trakh at Brea-Olinda.

Although Wright was disappointed, 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, but it will take time to interview this many people. We are not going to rush into making a decision.”

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

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Season of change: Culver City girls’ soccer and baseball Coach Jerry Chabola was hired last week as athletic director, replacing basketball Coach Marty Siegal, who resigned.

Chabola’s hiring, however, upset several present and former coaches, including football and track coach Lou Lichtl, who resigned Thursday. Lichtl was also a finalist for the job.

“I’m stepping aside for professional reasons and to pursue other career goals which might present themselves in administration,” Lichtl said. “Jerry and I have philosophical differences on how the department should be run and I don’t feel I fit in under his administration.

“I’m an advocate of change and I’m hoping some things are done for the betterment of the school and the student-athletes.”

Because of his new responsibilities, Chabola resigned as girls’ soccer and baseball coach. Chabola now has four vacancies to fill before school starts in September.

“I think I’ve created more problems for myself,” Chabola said. “It’s definitely a challenge with the given time frame.”

Chabola, 44, was a baseball and football coach for six seasons at Mt. Carmel in the Poway Unified School District. After selling insurance, Chabola returned to teaching and coaching at Culver City in 1989. He said his goal was to be an athletic director.

“I hope to make people’s jobs a little easier,” Chabola said. “I also like to emphasize more the academic achievements as well as the athletic achievements of our students.”

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Signings: Crossroads pitcher Richard Condon has accepted a scholarship to play baseball at Fresno State.

Condon, The Times’ Westside pitcher of the year, was also offered a scholarship by USC and was drafted by the Dodgers in the 50th round.

“I spoke with my mom about it and we both agreed that I should have a chance to go away to school,” Condon said. “I like their baseball program and coaches. I think it will be a good opportunity.”

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Draft list: Pepperdine had eight players selected in the amateur draft, including former Beverly Hills first baseman Robbie Wells and former Culver City pitcher Mauricio Estavil.

Wells was selected in an unspecified round by the Detroit Tigers and Estavil was drafted in the 26th round by the Minnesota Twins.

Other Waves selected and their major league teams were senior pitcher Steve Duda (Milwaukee, fifth round), junior center fielder Ryan Radmanovich (Minnesota, 13th), senior shortstop Eric Ekdahl (Philadelphia, 17th), senior catcher Scott Vollmer (Chicago White Sox, 17th) senior third baseman Mark Wasikowski (Milwaukee, unspecified), and junior pitcher Adam Housley (Montreal, unspecified).

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Bittersweet appearance: Fairfax had a good showing reaching the boys’ basketball finals of the L.A. Watts Summer Games, but lost a key player during the tournament.

Terryl Woolery, a 6-foot-4 transfer from Los Angeles High, suffered a compound fracture in his left arm in the second half of the Lions’ 41-36 semifinal win over Dorsey early Sunday. The Lions were beaten by Dominguez, 72-52, later in the day despite 20 points from guard Shaphan Roberts.

Woolery, who will be out six to eight weeks, was voted to the tournament’s first team. As a junior last season, Woolery averaged 17 points and was selected to The Times Central City second team.

“Normally you are elated to reach the finals of a tournament,” Fairfax Coach Harvey Kitani said, “But because of Terryl’s injury, our thoughts were with him.”

Fairfax will continue its summer schedule at the Lakewood tournament, June 30-July 3.

Staff writer Kim Q. Berkshire contributed to this notebook.