Jim Staunton, CIF Southern Section commissioner, announces plans to retire

Jim Staunton, the powerful commissioner of the CIF Southern Section, announced Thursday that he would retire effective July 29, 2011, opening the way for a likely spirited competition to replace him.

Staunton made the announcement at a meeting of league representatives at the Southern Section Council meeting, though he informed the Executive Committee of his intentions last May.

In a news release, Staunton, who leads an organization that oversees 580 high school sports programs, stated he will pursue teaching opportunities in a master’s program at Concordia University.

Among his achievements during 11 years as commissioner: He helped establish with the Josephson Institute the 16 principles of Pursuing Victory with Honor, acquired property to move the section office from Cerritos to Los Alamitos and developed a coaches training program on ethics.

In recent years, he has been in the middle of a growing battle involving parents trying to get their children eligible for sports after transferring without moving or for sports reasons. They seek a hardship waiver, and Staunton is the one who decides whether to grant hardship waivers. The encounters have become increasingly combative, resulting in growing legal expenses.

Former Southern Section president Earl Haugen will lead the search committee to find a replacement. One likely candidate within the office is Rob Wigod, an assistant commissioner for 10 years who has run football and baseball and is highly regarded for his ability to work with coaches.

Barbara Fiege, in her 18th year as commissioner of the City Section, said, “The job has definitely gotten tougher.”