Ponciano Considers Coaching at Valley

Ron Ponciano, fired two weeks ago as Cal State Northridge’s football coach, said Tuesday he is close to joining the Valley College staff for the 1999 season.

“I’m familiar with the school and it would be a real easy transition,” Ponciano said.

Carl Ferrill, Valley’s first-year coach, said Ponciano would be the assistant head coach and work with defensive players.

It would be the second stint for Ponciano at Valley. He was the Monarchs’ defensive coordinator in 1989 under Chuck Ferrero, the school’s athletic director.

“[Ponciano] is a super guy,” Ferrill said. “I’ve known him for a long time.”

Ponciano said he sold his Northridge house on Tuesday and is moving with his wife, Lisa, and 3-year-old son, Chad, to his in-laws’ home in Rancho Cucamonga.

“I’ll have to suck it up and do the long commute,” Ponciano said.

Ponciano, 40, was fired at Northridge on July 16 as a result of an internal investigation into alleged violations of NCAA rules. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Northridge is expected to release a report on the investigation Friday or Monday.

Ponciano coached the Matadors to a 7-4 record, 5-3 in Big Sky Conference play, last season. He was defensive coordinator at Northridge in 1995-96 and at San Jose State in 1997.

His other coaching stops included Azusa Pacific, USC and Missouri Western State.

Ponciano would fill an opening left by top assistant Gaylard Fenley, who joined the Valley staff when Ferrill was hired on June 3.

Ferrill said Fenley, 56, was diagnosed last week with kidney cancer and is staying for treatment at his home in Texas.