Maine Coach Turns Down 49ers

Discouraged Long Beach State officials resumed their search for a women’s basketball coach Monday after Maine Coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie turned down the school’s offer that would have at least doubled her salary.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed that Joanne decided to stay at Maine,” Long Beach Athletic Director Dave O’Brien said. “We do have to regroup a little now.”

O’Brien and other school officials set their hopes on Palombo-McCallie, 29. She led Maine to the North Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships and its first NCAA tournament appearance.

Palombo-McCallie arrived Friday in Long Beach with her husband, John McCallie, for interviews. She received the offer before returning home Saturday.

Long Beach will interview four candidates over the next two weeks. Former USC Coach Marianne Stanley formally applied for the job Thursday, but an administration source said she is no longer being seriously considered.

Maine officials scrambled to keep Palombo-McCallie by agreeing to increase her $48,438 salary by $18,000 over two years. Effective June 30, her new contract boosts her salary by $11,000. She will receive another $7,000 increase on June 30 of next year.

Maine also pledged to increase the women’s basketball budget by $79,000.

Long Beach offered Palombo-McCallie a package worth $110,000 annually. Administration sources said the contract could have increased to as much as $120,000 after the first year with certain performance-based incentives.