Mater Dei Coach Is Victim of a Hoax

Bruce Rollinson, football coach at Santa Ana Mater Dei High, said Monday that he was the victim of a hoax that made front-page news.

Rollinson, who had said Sunday that someone from Oregon had asked about his interest in becoming the school’s football coach, actually was never a candidate for the job, a university official said.

“I know of (Mater Dei’s) fine football reputation. But his name was brand new to us today,” said Dan Williams, Oregon’s interim athletic director and vice president of administration.

Said Rollinson: “We all have been deceived. Whoever called was pretty good--he had a name and all the proper numbers. I don’t know what this person had to gain by deceiving all of us.”

Rollinson said he had been contacted by phone over the weekend by someone who identified himself as an Oregon athletic department official.

As reported in Monday’s Times Orange County edition and the Orange County Register, Rollinson said the caller identified himself and asked if the coach was interested in interviewing for the job vacated by Rich Brooks, who had been hired as coach of the Rams.

The caller even asked Rollinson to fly to Oregon on Wednesday for an interview.

But on Monday, Oregon named Mike Bellotti, Brooks’ offensive coordinator last season, as the new coach and said Rollinson had never been considered.

Rollinson learned he had been duped after contacting Williams to confirm the interview. Rollinson then told Williams the name given by the caller, Ken Winstead. Williams said Winstead had not worked at the school for a few years.

“And even then, he was a fund raiser,” Williams said. “If that name was used, I can see how it lent authenticity. But Bruce was never considered by us.”

Winstead, now an associate athletic director at the University of Houston, said Monday he left Oregon nearly two years ago and has never spoken with Rollinson.