Shumard Steps Down at Fullerton

Bill Shumard’s turbulent, three-year tenure as Cal State Fullerton athletic director came to an end Wednesday, when he announced his resignation, effective May 31.

“Probably never being able to turn the corner with the program was my biggest disappointment,” Shumard said. “Maybe new leadership will accelerate the healing.”

Shumard’s three years were marked by unrest among student-athletes over cuts in the program--including the termination of football--and two controversial cases stemming from an ill-fated attempt to drop women’s volleyball in January, 1992.

Jim Huffman, the volleyball coach at the time, was the big winner in both. First, he successfully fought in the courts the following March to have the program restored. Then, after he was subsequently fired, he successfully proved in a wrongful termination suit that his contract was not renewed in retaliation, and he won a $1.35-million judgment plus substantial court costs against the school last February.

The jury said Shumard and Jack Bedell, another university official, had fired Huffman with “callous disregard” to Huffman’s First Amendment rights and that Shumard had acted with “fraud, malice and oppression.” Shumard was ordered to pay $3,000 in punitive damages.

Shumard, 43, said “the outcome of that trial was painful to me, and what bothered me most was that there were 12 people in Orange County who believe I was that person.”

Shumard said he felt he had been supported by the university after the verdict--which is under appeal--and that he felt no pressure to resign.

Before he was hired in August, 1991, Shumard had been an assistant athletic director at USC for three years. With the Dodgers from 1975-88, he had been director of community services and special events and had worked in the public relations department.

School President Milton Gordon issued a statement saying the school would name an acting director and begin a search for a permanent one as soon as possible.

“As Bill Shumard considers new interests, I know the Titan family joins me in wishing him well,” Gordon said.