LONG BEACH STATE NOTEBOOK / JASON REID : A Tough Search Turned Out Well

Coaching searches often are long, frustrating, disappointed experiences that test the mettle of everyone involved--athletic directors in particular. Long Beach Athletic Director Dave O’Brien knows this firsthand.

The 49ers hoped to quickly select a women’s basketball coach, but good help really is hard to find. And even when officials eventually found the person they wanted, the candidate said no thanks.

Although discouraged, the 49ers immediately resumed their search. The payoff came last week.

Unquestionably, the hiring of Purdue assistant Dallas Boychuk is another in a series of sound moves by O’Brien. Boychuk possesses the qualities needed to restore the program to prominence.

“It wasn’t easy, but we got the right one,” O’Brien said. “She’s going to go out and invigorate the community.”

O’Brien and assistant athletic director Cindy Masner sought not only a competent coach, but someone who could sell the program. Finding a person with flair was paramount, an administration source said, because of Glenn McDonald’s poor performance in dealing with the public.

McDonald, who was reassigned within the athletic department after four years as coach, didn’t care much for the public relations aspect of the job. Intelligent and compassionate, McDonald chose to stand on his coaching ability and commitment to student-athletes.

This, ultimately, was key to his downfall. Unfortunately for McDonald, dealing with glad-handers, especially the benefactors, is as much a part of major Division I athletics as practice.

Former USC Coach Marianne Stanley expressed serious interest in the position, and was initially among the leading candidates. Stanley had success at USC before her rocky split with the school over money.

O’Brien thought Stanley might be the right choice. With her knowledge of recruiting in the Southland, her accomplishments at USC and Long Beach’s commitment to women’s basketball, Stanley certainly wouldn’t have been a poor choice.

However, Stanley didn’t have many other proponents at Long Beach early on.

Her fate was sealed when she formally applied for the position extremely late in the process. O’Brien shifted his focus toward Joanne Palombo-McCallie.

O’Brien and Masner believed they had found a rising star in Palombo-McCallie, head coach at Maine. True, Palombo-McCallie didn’t have Stanley’s experience, but she already had achieved the success in the coaching and marketing aspects Long Beach desired.

O’Brien didn’t attempt to hide his disappointment when Palombo-McCallie turned down the job. Stung by the rejection, O’Brien was determined not be turned down again.

Boychuk has been regarded as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches for the last two seasons. She is an accomplished recruiter with a degree in marketing.

Clearly, Palombo-McCallie was the one Long Beach wanted. She has Division I head coaching experience and Boychuk doesn’t.

However, Palombo-McCallie didn’t want the job. Boychuk did.

Still, Long Beach did just fine.

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Runnin’ 49ers? Eventually, Boychuk wants Long Beach to win--and fill seats--with an up-tempo game.

That’s the style she knows and likes best. Just how quickly the 49ers will take off, though, is yet to be determined.

“In the future, we will recruit to run and press,” she said. “I like to push the ball down the floor and play very intense defense, but what I have to do is take a look at the players we have right now.”

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Job status: O’Brien requested that Boychuk consider retaining full-time assistant coach Sharon Turner and restricted-earnings assistant Trise Jackson. The other assistant position is vacant because full-time assistant Matt Ruiz accepted the boys’ coaching job at Lakewood High, O’Brien said. Boychuk’s decision on her staff is expected soon.

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Top players: Freshman pitcher Rocky Biddle and junior outfielder Jeff Liefer were selected for Big West Conference awards.

Biddle, a right-hander, pitched a complete game with 14 strikeouts Sunday in a 9-2 conference victory over Pacific. That completed the 49ers’ three-game sweep and helped Biddle be selected the pitcher of the week. Biddle, who allowed five hits and walked three, is 3-1 with a 5.09 earned-run average.

Liefer went seven for 11 with four runs and four RBIs in the series, and was chosen the co-player of the week. Liefer, batting .353, leads the 49ers with 59 hits, 43 runs, eight homers, 38 RBIs and a .563 slugging percentage. He is tied for the team lead with 11 doubles, 25 walks, and 13 stolen bases.

The 49ers (27-19-1, 13-5 in the Big West) have won six in a row. They trail first-place Cal State Fullerton by two games.