Long Beach State Coaching Race Gets Late Entry With Stanley

Marianne Stanley, the former USC women’s basketball coach who vigorously expressed interest in the Long Beach State coaching job several weeks ago, has applied for it, but a Long Beach administration source said Friday it might be too late.

Maine Coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie has become the top candidate after her interviews that began Friday, and the search committee is not eager to pursue Stanley. Palombo-McCallie and her husband, John McCallie, met with the search committee, school officials and toured the campus. She will meet with President Robert Maxson today.

Long Beach Athletic Director Dave O’Brien reportedly was pleased after speaking with Palombo-McCallie, who has coached Maine for three seasons. Although other candidates have not been formally interviewed, O’Brien is focusing on Palombo-McCallie, who led Maine to its first NCAA tournament berth this season.

This does not reflect well on Stanley’s chances, because O’Brien was her chief advocate at Long Beach. Stanley twice initiated phone conversations with Cindy Masner, assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator, last month about the job.

She didn’t apply until Thursday, sources said, in part because she was discouraged after having been turned down for many recent openings.

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