Stanley Loses Appeal to Coach USC Women’s Basketball Team

Marianne Stanley lost another legal battle Thursday in her attempt to coach the USC women’s basketball team this season when a federal appeals panel refused to reinstate her until an $8-million sex discrimination suit against the school is resolved.

In a 3-0 decision, a panel with the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco upheld a district court’s ruling on a pretrial motion that Stanley should not be returned as the Trojans’ coach. She was replaced by former USC All-American Cheryl Miller last September.

Judge Arthur Alarcon wrote in the decision that Stanley failed to show that her job was equal to USC men’s Coach George Raveling’s in terms of responsibility. Because the men’s team generated 90 times more revenue than the women’s team, Alarcon wrote that Raveling was under greater pressure to win, and that he had public relations and promotional duties that were not required of the women’s coach.

Raveling is believed to earn an estimated $110,00 in base salary although his contract is not public. Stanley rejected offers of $288,000 for three years, and $96,000 for one year. When she allowed her contract to expire last summer and the school began searching for a replacement, Stanley sued USC and Athletic Director Mike Garrett.

Stanley’s lawyer, Robert Bell of Washington, said the ruling does not end the fight to reinstate Stanley, who this week was named to a part-time marketing position with the Stanford women’s program. Bell said he will ask the Ninth Circuit as a body to consider the arguments that the three-member panel rejected.

Bell said he is continuing the effort instead of regrouping for the impending trial because Stanley wants to coach this season’s team.

“I can’t tell her to walk away from what is a part of her life,” Bell said.