Controversy Swirling at Burroughs : High school football: Denial by school principal follows leak from search committee member that Dos Remedios is choice for coaching position.

Burroughs High Principal Tim Buchanan said he has not told a soul. Nobody will know his choice to replace Gary Bernardi as the school’s football coach until tonight, when he makes a formal recommendation to the Burbank Unified School Board of Education at Burbank City Hall.

Buchanan has kept mum to avoid the controversy and embarrassment that beset Burbank High administrators last month, when a school district official and members of a search committee leaked information to the press.

But Buchanan couldn’t avoid such turmoil. A member of the search committee said Buchanan has picked Glendale College assistant Robert dos Remedios.

The committee member, who asked not to be identified, said the committee voted, 7-6, for Pat Blackburn, a Burroughs assistant, but Buchanan overruled the vote.

“I’m not making any comment about that,” Buchanan said. “For somebody to come out of the committee and say Robert Dos Remedios (is my choice) is irresponsible. It puts a damper on future committee involvement in making a recommendation.”

Buchanan would not comment when asked if he had chosen Dos Remedios, 27, a former Burbank High player, nor would he comment on whether or not a vote had taken place.

Dos Remedios said he was told about the committee vote and got encouraging news from Buchanan last week.

“Buchanan called me and said I was right there,” Dos Remedios said.

Dos Remedios has no head coaching experience, which appears to be a concern among committee members who also interviewed St. Genevieve Coach Richard Fong and former San Fernando High Coach Tom Hernandez.

Dos Remedios was not surprised to hear his name had surfaced, saying, “When I talked to Tim, he said somebody had leaked something.”

Last month, a Burbank trustee revealed John Hazelton as the committee’s choice before the applicants were even interviewed. Fong and Dos Remedios were among the interviewers. When the two decided to apply for the Burroughs job, both said they were hoping for a fair shot, controversy-free.

“Somebody is not part of the solution,” Buchanan said. “Somebody is part of the problem. Why is he trying to do that, unless he’s trying to create a problem?”