Northern Californian Offered Top CIF Job : Preps: Jack Hayes of West Sonoma County among three finalists for executive director post.

Jack Hayes, an education administrator with an extensive athletic background, has been offered the position of executive director of the California Interscholastic Federation and is expected to sign a contract this week, The Times has learned.

Hayes is one of three finalists who interviewed for the job last Saturday in San Francisco. Also interviewed were Margaret Davis, CIF associate commissioner, and Ed Seal, retired superintendent of the Brea-Olinda Unified School District.

“At this point it is just a matter of hammering out a contract,” said a CIF source. “I don’t expect any complications.”

Reached at home Monday, Hayes declined to discuss specifics.

“At this point, I think I would like to wait until things are official,” he said. “This is a great job, and I hope it all works out.”

Hayes is the superintendent of the West Sonoma County Union High School District in Northern California. The district includes two high schools and a continuation school. Hayes has a long history with the CIF. He served as president of the North Coast Section from 1984-91 and is a former member of the CIF council and executive committee.

The CIF, the nation’s largest high school athletic governing body with 1,176 member schools, is made up of 10 sections. It is headquartered in La Mirada.

“Jack is the kind of man who you can disagree with on an issue but not be mad at,” said Paul Gaddini, North Coast Section commissioner.

At a commissioners’ meeting Tuesday in San Luis Obispo, Davis opened by saying the next meeting would probably be headed by a former superintendent.

If a contract is worked out, Hayes will replace Tom Byrnes, who stepped down in May after 16 years on the job. In June, the position was offered to Dave Gordon, superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento, but he turned it down.