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Burbank coach relieved of duties

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Jeff Tully

David Goosen, a first-year coach for the Burbank High boys’

basketball team, has been suspended from coaching duties effective

Friday, district officials said.

“David Goosen has been put on administrative leave from coaching

duties because of allegations from an incident at the Las Vegas

tournament Dec. 26 to 30,” said Alexis Sheehey, Burbank Unified

School District assistant superintendent for instructional services.

“We were hoping to talk to [Goosen on Friday,] but he called in

for a [substitute teacher.]”

Sheehey said an investigation is pending. Goosen -- who came to

Burbank after coaching at Venice High -- has not been suspended from

his teaching duties at the school.

The incident that led to Goosen’s suspension occurred in the

Bulldogs’ opening game of the Las Vegas Prep Championship. In a

tourney contest on Dec. 26, Goosen was thrown out of the game after

getting his second technical foul for arguing with an official.

The Bulldogs lost that game, and suffered three more defeats in

the tournament.

Burbank’s next game following the tournament was Jan. 3, a

nonleague contest against host Bellarmine- Jefferson. With Goosen

coaching his team, the Bulldogs defeated the Guards, 56-48.

Under CIF Southern Section rules, Goosen should not have been on

the Bulldogs’ bench and should have been suspended for one game

following the ejection.

If it is determined Goosen violated the Southern Section rule,

Burbank would be required to forfeit the victory to Bell-Jeff. There

is also the possibility that because Goosen didn’t sit out the

required game, every win thereafter would have to be forfeited.

The incident is the latest in a series of unsavory occurrences

involving the Bulldog basketball program this season.

Earlier this week, the school recommended the team forfeit five

nonleague games after it was discovered a player falsified enrollment

documents.

A faxed statement Tuesday from the BUSD outlined the school’s

investigation of Bulldog senior transfer Kevin Greene. The

information alleged “falsified enrollment documents had been

submitted to the school during registration” by Greene.

The situation involves Greene, a 5-foot-11 point guard who

transferred to Burbank from Venice High. Goosen coached Greene at

Venice two seasons ago.

Some coaches who have associations with the Venice program said

Greene was a senior on the Gondoliers’ boys’ team two seasons ago.

They claim Greene has already used up his high school eligibility.

Goosen insists Greene was a sophomore two years ago.

Schools Burbank defeated prior to Dec. 13 were notified of the

forfeits this week.

Prior to the investigation, Greene was declared academically

ineligible when grades came out before the holiday break.

The latest bad news comes at an unfortunate time for the Burbank

team, which opened Foothill League play Friday against Saugus.

A parent of one of the Bulldog players -- who didn’t want to speak

on the record because of possible retribution against his son -- said

Goosen’s integrity was in question even before the incident in Las

Vegas.

“There have been some rumblings about him from a group of parents

for some time now,” the parent said. “We have heard a lot of bad

stories about the coach.

“This whole mess has been very hard on the players. The season is

virtually over for them. It’s really not fair to the players who have

put so much time and effort into the season.”

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