Ponciano Will Take Over at Valley

Ron Ponciano was hired Wednesday as football coach at Valley College, the school announced.

He replaces Carl Ferrill, who left last season for medical reasons.

Ponciano, 41, coached Cal State Northridge in 1998 but was fired in July 1999 after a school investigation into NCAA rules violations.

The NCAA in June placed Northridge on three years’ probation and banned its football team from postseason play last season because of numerous violations in recruiting, ethical conduct and institutional control.

Ponciano was the defensive coordinator two seasons ago at McPherson State College in Kansas, an NAIA school, and became Ferrill’s top assistant at Valley last season.

Among several coaching stops, Ponciano was San Jose State’s defensive coordinator in 1997 after spending the previous two years in the same capacity for Northridge.

He was an assistant at Valley in 1989.

Ponciano’s full-time assistant position at Valley is open and two junior college head coaches who interviewed to replace Ferrill, David Banuelos of Pierce and John Rome of Citrus, said they are interested in filling the spot.