Burt’s Bid for Job at Pacific Falls Short

A beleaguered Cal State Northridge football team lost by the closest of margins to Cal State Sacramento in its season finale last fall, 23-22. This week, Northridge Coach Bob Burt was edged again by Sacramento Coach Mike Clemons.

Make that the ex-Sacramento coach. Clemons was hired this week as linebacker coach at Pacific, a position for which Burt was a finalist, Pacific Coach Chuck Shelton said Thursday.

“If Mike Clemons had stayed at Sacramento, it would been Burt’s job if he wanted it, absolutely,” Shelton said.

Shelton said he spoke with Clemons about the position in December and felt inclined to give him first crack at the job, though several applicants were interviewed, including Burt.

“(Burt) was No. 2 because of timing, not because of ability,” Shelton said. “Mike and I talked first and it was a done deal if he wanted it.”

Burt and Clemons had plenty in common apart from being rivals in the American West Conference.

The football programs at both Northridge and Sacramento are in legislative limbo because of athletic budget deficits. Each school is expected to ask students to vote on fee hikes in next month’s student elections, with the money earmarked for athletics.

Administrators at both schools have stated that football faces elimination if the fee referendums fail.

Burt, 53, said he asked Shelton to postpone making a decision until after the referendum issue is decided March 7-9. Shelton elected to make the offer to Clemons.

“I said I wanted to stay at Northridge unless the program gets dropped,” Burt said. “If it is, obviously, I’d need a job.”

Burt, who has won more games than any coach in Northridge history, has compiled a record of 49-46 in nine seasons with the Matadors, who like Sacramento compete at the NCAA Division I-AA level.

Northridge lost its last five games to finish 3-7 last fall and had its last winning season in 1990.