Hopefuls Scramble for Titan Opening : College basketball: Several coaches have contacted Easterbrook about replacing Holland.

John Easterbrook began his career as Cal State Fullerton athletic director in whirlwind fashion Tuesday, facing the immediate challenge of replacing Brad Holland as basketball coach with the start of workouts only 25 days away.

“I’ve had a lot of telephones calls about the position, from people strongly interested in it, as well as other people making recommendations,” Easterbrook said. “It tells me there is a lot of interest in this position, and in Fullerton basketball.”

Among Easterbrook’s scheduled meetings on his first day on the job was one with Bob Hawking, who is most likely to be named interim coach if the university decides to move in that direction. Practice starts Oct. 15 and the university normally requires a 30-day posting before a position can be filled on a permanent basis.

Hawking, who was Holland’s top assistant for his two seasons at Fullerton, said he definitely is interested in the position. Hawking, 45, has been recommended for the job by Holland, who resigned to accept the head coaching position at the University of San Diego.

“I feel I have good support, and I’m pleased about that,” Hawking said. “I’ve been told that some boosters have expressed that, and I know that a group of players have done the same thing with the new athletic director. I feel people around here have gotten to know me, and feel good about what I’ve done.”

Hawking has been involved in recruiting every player on the current roster except senior guard James French.

“It was a good opportunity for Brad to move on, and I think it would be a great opportunity for me to pick up what he started and keep things going in the right direction,” Hawking said.

Hawking was an assistant for two years at Pepperdine after 14 years in the high school ranks at Simi Valley, where his teams reached the CIF playoffs nine times and won five Marmonte League championships. His 1988 team, led by Don MacLean, won the CIF championship.

Also mentioned as a possibility for the job is Utah assistant coach Donny Daniels, who is a former assistant at Fullerton under George McQuarn.

Daniels, who has been at Utah since 1989, said he would be interested in the position, but has no plans to apply at this point out of deference to Hawking.

“I like Bob, and I know he’s interested, so I won’t contact them about it,” he said. “If they contact me, that’s another matter.”

Daniels, who played for Fullerton from 1974-76 and graduated in 1977, believes Fullerton will need to move quickly to hire a replacement because of recruiting. “But if they name someone on an interim basis, the other recruiters will attack that like you wouldn’t believe,” Daniels said.

Another Fullerton graduate, Mater Dei High Coach Gary McKnight, also has been mentioned as a possibility and has indicated his continuing interest.

Bob Schermerhorn, head coach at Riverside Community College, said he has telephoned to make his interest known.

Schermerhorn, 51, was an assistant at UC Irvine for three years and head coach at Southern Utah State for four years. He also was an assistant at Arizona State, and is starting his sixth season at Riverside.

“I’d like to get back to Division I if possible,” he said.