Players Voice Displeasure With Chandler

The Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team, recently saved from extinction by the passage of a student fee hike, might be starting over nearly from scratch next season.

Of the 10 players who suited up for Northridge during its season-ending loss against Southern Utah, only three said Saturday they were certain of returning to the team.

On a related subject, the results were unanimous: Every player expressed at least some reservation with the performance of Kim Chandler as coach.

“We don’t trust her or her coaching ability,” said Maureen Batiste, a junior who has played three seasons for Chandler. “We don’t trust her judgment, she’s not honest with us, and all of that makes it difficult for us to perform.”

Northridge set a rather dubious school record by losing 26 of 27 games during a season which concluded with a 72-54 loss against Southern Utah in a first-round American West Conference tournament game Friday.

The Matadors were winless against Division I competition, defeating only Cal State Los Angeles, a Division II team.

Bob Hiegert, Northridge’s athletic director, said Chandler’s job performance will be discussed during an annual evaluation sometime within the next month.

Part of that process, he said, will be interviews with players, several of whom were pointedly critical of their coach during interviews conducted in the lobby of their hotel.

“I think they should go ahead and start looking for another coach or a lot of players probably won’t return,” said Batiste, a center from Long Beach who scored a career-high 21 points in the finale.

Abandoning Northridge’s program has become a trend in Chandler’s 3 1/2-season tenure as coach. Sixteen players and two assistants have left the team for a variety of reasons.

On the active roster for the last game were seven freshmen and three juniors. Batiste and forwards Carrie Dormire and Kanika Means are the only non-freshmen.

“I’ve been here three years and nothing has changed,” Batiste said. “When I came in she told us freshman that we were the core of the program, that we could turn it around and be successful. The same things she said back then, she’s saying now.”

Northridge has won only four of 53 games dating back to 1993. Overall, Chandler, who has one year left on her contract, is 12-84 since she was hired first on an interim basis in December of 1991.

Chandler was 26 years old when hired and several players said her lack of experience is obvious during games and practices.

“I had a high school coach who was more knowledgeable than her,” said Kelly Morris, a freshman from Diamond Bar, a statement backed by several teammates.

“Sometimes we tell her a play isn’t working and she still calls it even though we’re the ones running it,” said Lisa Vaillancourt, a freshman from Novato. “She thinks we’re giving up on her system, but we’re not. (The plays) just aren’t working against a certain defense.”

Other players cited Chandler for shortcomings in developing defensive strategy, making substitutions and calling timeouts.

“There are little things that happen in almost every game,” Morris said.

Chandler responded to the critiques of her coaching with a jab of her own. “You can look at the way the season turned out and anybody can point fingers,” she said. “If they’re pointed at me, I don’t have a problem with that.

“The fact is, you have to be in a game to coach it.”

Northridge was outscored by an average of 20 points a game.

The knock that she is too young and lacks the seasoning to be a successful major-college coach is something Chandler said she has grown accustomed to.

“I was young when I took over and that fact I can never escape until we get a chance to see the wins turn around,” she said.

Whether that step will come with her as coach is a question even Chandler can’t answer.

As to whether she planned to return as coach, Chandler said: “I’ll give it some thought and try to put things in perspective for myself. I need time. It’s been a long season.”

Chandler said she was not surprised that so many players were undecided about continuing their careers at Northridge. For that reason, she plans to wait until the end of the month before meeting individually with the players.

“I want to give them some time,” Chandler said. “That whole question about coming back, to me comes very early at this point.”

Chandler has been particularly upbeat in recent weeks, lauding the effort of the players under trying circumstances.

However, the players have seen her flip-side, including a tirade after a loss on the road against Cal State Sacramento in which Chandler allegedly referred to the players as “losers.”

“She might have been using reverse psychology, but I just wanted to stand up and say, ‘You can point the finger at us, but can you point it right back at yourself,’ ” Morris said.

The next day, players said, Chandler reverted to her optimistic side, exhorting her charges to work hard during practice.

“It’s like she has a split personality,” Vaillancourt said.

Batiste said Chandler acted similarly upbeat toward the end of the two previous seasons.

“She totally kisses our butts at the end of the season just to make sure everyone comes back,” Batiste said.

Added Morris: “She’s doing a good salesman’s technique. You want to keep your customers.”

The consensus of the players is that Northridge has the talent to compete in the American West Conference and against most of the teams on its schedule.

“Each and every player on our team has, at least in one game, stepped up and proved the talent is there,” said Holly Babcock, a freshman from Nevada City.

Cathy Mahoric, a seldom-used freshman from Santa Cruz, said Chandler told her she was “a bad investment” and “not even earning my spot on the bench.”

Mahoric was among four players who said they probably would not be back if Chandler returns.

Freshmen Tannea Nelson and Pam Karbowski hope that those who are disenchanted come back even if Chandler remains coach.

Another freshman is basing her hopes on other school officials.

“The administration will make the right decision for all of us, at least I hope so,” Vaillancourt said.