Ponciano Called On His Safety Valve

It didn’t take much prodding for Ron Ponciano, Cal State Northridge’s first-year football coach, to get Foster Andersen back on the field.

After all, there’s only so many games a guy can watch on TV.

Andersen, a longtime college and NFL assistant, is coaching Northridge’s safeties. He held the same post in 1995-96, when Ponciano was the team’s defensive coordinator.

“We understand each other, we know each other,” Andersen said of Ponciano. “I love coaching. All my life I’ve been doing this.”

Andersen, 58, was an assistant at UCLA, USC, Valley College and Pasadena College. He coached the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line in 1978 and was head coach at Cal State Los Angeles in 1971-73.

Last season, Andersen spent hours glued to the tube.

“My friend Dave Levy [former USC assistant] has a [satellite] dish,” said Andersen, a Granada Hills resident. “We watched more football last year than I have in any year I’ve ever coached.”

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The Matadors are holding their final intrasquad scrimmage today at 5 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m. and admission, refreshments and hot dogs are free.

There is a $10,000 field goal-kicking contest at halftime. A similar contest will be held at each home game.

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When KCSN-FM (88.5) provides live broadcasts of Northridge games, Gary Cruz will be doing the play by play and Ron Foster will be handling the commentary, Athletic Director Paul Bubb said.

The games also will be heard live by accessing Northridge’s web site at www.csun.eduathletics.