Pepperdine Seeks Seasoned Coach

Not long ago, Pepperdine filled its coaching vacancies in basketball with rising assistants. From Jim Harrick to Tom Asbury to Lorenzo Romar, Malibu proved an ideal springboard to higher profile--if less scenic--locales.

The job is open again because Jan van Breda Kolff left for St. Bonaventure, but the criteria are more stringent. Assistants are welcome to apply, but the leading contenders have track records as head coaches.

Asbury, idle since Kansas State fired him a year ago, is one of four experienced candidates at the top of Athletic Director John Watson’s list. The others are Mike Dunlap of Metro State in Denver, Bobby Braswell of Cal State Northridge and Paul Westphal, the former NBA coach whose son, Mike, is a Wave walk-on guard.

Asbury, 55, led Pepperdine to three NCAA tournament appearances and a record of 125-59 from 1988-94. A resident of Thousand Oaks who attended several Pepperdine games last season, he was 86-89 at Kansas State.

Dunlap, 43, led Metro State to the Division II championship in 2000 and is 107-21 in four seasons.

Dunlap was an assistant at USC, Iowa and Loyola Marymount, his alma mater. He turned down offers at Colorado State and Loyola Marymount last year but has applied at Pepperdine.

Braswell, 38, led Northridge to its first NCAA tournament appearance this year and has a record of 85-63 in five seasons.

Westphal, 50, was fired as coach of the Seattle SuperSonics in November, 15 games into his third season. He also coached the Phoenix Suns from 1992-96, leading them to the NBA finals in 1993. As a player, Westphal led USC to a 24-2 mark in 1971-72 and played 12 NBA seasons.

Watson wants to hire a coach by the end of the week because the signing period begins today. Devin Montgomery, a guard from Moorpark College, is the only recruit who has committed to Pepperdine, which has three open scholarships.

Gib Arnold, Van Breda Kolff’s top assistant, heads a long list of assistants interested in the opening. But administrators are focusing more on track record than potential.