Ponciano Among Finalists at Valley

Two junior college coaches, one assistant and a former Division I coach are among the leading candidates to become the next football coach at Valley College.

Chuck Ferrero, Valley’s athletic director, said school President Tyree Wieder is interviewing candidates this week and a coach could be hired by Friday.

Ron Ponciano, the top assistant at Valley last season and a former head coach at Cal State Northridge, might have the inside track.

Ponciano was the interim coach for the Monarchs at the end of last season, replacing Carl Ferrill, who was placed on medical leave because of prostate cancer and other ailments.

Rick Amadio, Valley’s defensive coordinator, is among the other leading candidates, which include Pierce Coach David Banuelos and Citrus Coach John Rome.

Rome, a former Valley player, was an assistant at UCLA and New Mexico in the 1980s and at Glendale College in the early 1990s. He has coached at Citrus for six seasons.

If Ponciano is hired as coach, it would create a full-time assistant position, and Banuelos and Rome said they would be interested in the job. Banuelos is a part-time coach at Pierce.

Valley last season finished 2-8 and did not play in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive year.