Keating Bails on Ventura

After days spent soul-searching in seclusion, Jim Keating finally emerged with a much-anticipated announcement: He will not coach men’s basketball at Ventura College.

Keating, 41, who made a verbal commitment July 2 to coach the Pirates after 10 seasons as men’s coach at Shasta College in Redding, Calif., said Wednesday he had reconsidered and will remain at Shasta as a physical education instructor.

Keating cited family considerations; his wife and young children wanted to remain in Northern California.

“We’ve been wrestling with this for a long time,” Keating said. “I don’t really want to go into particulars, but what it came down to is, all of my children were born here and my wife is from Anderson (10 miles south of Redding). There was not a 100% consensus that we wanted to move.

“This is something that has torn me apart. Sleeping 60 minutes a night, pacing, weighing the factors. . . . I really regret that I won’t be coaching. But as long as my family is happy, that’s all that matters.”

Keating, who was scheduled to replace Virgil Watson, failed to report to work Tuesday at Ventura amid rumors that he was having second thoughts about taking the job. A Redding publication reported over the weekend that Keating might reconsider.

Ventura Athletic Director Dick James said Monday that Keating had returned to Redding over the weekend to officially resign his teaching position at Shasta. Keating remained in seclusion, however, until calling James on Wednesday afternoon with an explanation and an apology.

“He told me the more they wrestled with it, what it means to uproot a family and move, the more difficult it became,” James said. “They have land and livestock and their daughter rides [horses]. I knew it was a concern after he went home after his initial visit here.”

Ventura is expected to name a new coach perhaps “within 24 hours,” James said.

James declined to speculate on a replacement. Keating was chosen ahead of 38 candidates. The list of finalists included Cuesta Coach Rusty Blair, Columbia Coach Glen Hefferman and Chaffey Coach George Tarkanian, son of Fresno State Coach Jerry Tarkanian.

“We are aggressively and actively working on our options,” James said. “We have a lot of options.”

James expressed relief that the ordeal was over.

“It’s regretful that we have to go through this kind of process in such a fishbowl,” James said. “But it happens all the time with faculty members in math and English, especially when it involves relocating. But nothing is ever said.”

Shasta President Doug Treadway said Keating, who has taught physical education at Shasta since 1986, faces no disciplinary action and is expected to resume teaching next week.

Keating, who had a 200-123 record and won three Golden Valley Conference championships at Shasta, stepped down after the Knights were 15-15 last season.

Keating was reassigned to teach in the school’s physical education department but was not pleased with the move, Treadway said. Keating and administrators disagreed over the coach’s philosophy of recruiting players from out of the area.

In an apparent reaction to Watson’s dismissal, several Ventura players have transferred or are planning to transfer. Watson coached Ventura for two seasons, leading them to the state title in 1996. His contract was not renewed after last season, primarily because administrators considered him a poor teacher.

Keating said the controversy surrounding Watson’s firing did not affect his decision.

“This has nothing to do with Ventura,” Keating said. “Ventura is a great school and the community is wonderful.”