Long Beach Seeks Meeting With Stanley

Long Beach State is intrigued by the interest of Marianne Stanley, former women’s basketball coach at USC, in its vacant coaching position and wants to schedule a formal discussion with her, a Long Beach administration source said Saturday.

Long Beach Athletic Director Dave O’Brien and Cindy Masner, assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator, would like to meet with Stanley early this week, a source said. Stanley, who has been out of coaching for two seasons after her rocky split with USC, is attending the women’s NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis.

Stanley twice initiated brief phone conversations with Masner about the job. Although Long Beach started a nationwide search to fill the position last week, Stanley would be the school’s top choice. O’Brien and Masner are seeking a high-profile person to take control of the program.

Since leaving USC after the 1992-93 season, Stanley has worked for the Stanford women’s staff as a marketing consultant and worked as a basketball commentator for TV.

Stanley filed an $8-million sex-bias suit against USC that was dismissed three weeks ago. Attorneys for Stanley filed an appeal this week in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.