Rigorous Academics Make Anteater Job an Uphill Battle

Now comes the hard part.

Wanted: One basketball coach. Must be able to cope with tough academic standards, be competitive and fill moderate-sized arena. Head coaching experience not required, but a plus.

Six years ago, Rod Baker seemed to fit the description. Young coach with a good reputation and big on academics. Now Irvine must search again for that perfect fit.

“This can be a very attractive situation,” Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said. “It’s a great environment, we have great academics and we have a great facility with the Bren Center.”

Two out of three ain’t bad.

You can’t beat the environment, and the Bren Center is a great facility. Academics, though, can be a double-edged sword. A UC Irvine degree does look nice on the resume, but attaining one takes a great deal of effort.

It’s no secret that being a student-athlete at Irvine is a little more difficult than at most schools. For starters, the university doesn’t offer communications, physical education or business majors--often safe harbors for athletes. Such a thing can cut into a coach’s recruiting style.

Baker had a reputation as a good recruiter when he got the Irvine job. Attracting players is a little easier when you’re selling Seton Hall to New York high school players.

At Irvine, the New York subway brought Kevin Simmons and Boris Rzenik, the two extremes of Irvine’s situation. One was an exceptional player who struggled in the classroom, the other an exceptional student who struggled on the basketball court.

Simmons was a coup. A 6-foot-8 forward loaded with potential. Irvine had rarely landed such a player. It was a high point in Baker’s tenure.

Now, Simmons is a redshirt at Nevada Las Vegas. He stayed eligible for two seasons at Irvine, but it took a lot of work. He attended summer school and received help from tutors hired by the basketball program.

Still . . .

“I would always go into a test wondering if I was going to pass,” Simmons said earlier this year.

Then there is Rzenik, a 6-10 sophomore center. He wasn’t exactly all-world, but averaged 12 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks at Midwood High School. He also was an outstanding student.

Rzenik, an engineering major, was a Big West Conference scholar/athlete last season. He is such a dedicated student he received permission to leave practices early on certain days to attend an afternoon engineering class. It was the only time the class was offered.

On the other hand, Rzenik rarely leaves the bench during games. He didn’t even attempt a shot in six games as a freshman. This season, he played 37 minutes and scored four points.

“There is no question that there are some student athletes that are eligible to attend other universities who may not be successful academic candidates here,” Guerrero said. “Any coach who accepts this position knows that. I look on it in a positive way. We can provide a quality student-athlete experience.”

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The hiring process began Monday, as Irvine’s selection committee met for the first time. The six-member panel was put together last week and includes a student, faculty member and representative of the community. It will be chaired by Guerrero.

“We will develop a strategy for the search,” Guerrero said Saturday. “Basically, we want to decide how many coaches we are going to bring in.”

The last time Irvine was in the market for a coach, it shopped around. Officials met with or interviewed 11 coaches before hiring Baker. Coaches already are lining up. Guerrero said as many as 30 either have sent resumes, made contact or announced their interest in the job.

Guerrero said that was why he left the Big West Tournament on Friday, a day before the Anteaters played UC Santa Barbara in the women’s title game.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a look at key games this week for UC Irvine:

* Men’s and women’s track and field compete in the Long Beach State Collegiate Classic Saturday at Long Beach State. Running events begin at 9 a.m. and field events at 10 a.m.

* Men’s tennis hosts Purdue at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

* Women’s tennis hosts Fairfield today, Portland on Thursday and Tulsa on Friday. All matches begin at 1:30 p.m.