Nearly a week after Tom Fitzgerald’s departure sent
tremors through the collegiate soccer world, UCLA has finally
kick-started its search for a replacement.
Associate Athletic Director Ken Weiner, who found out Thursday
he will serve as point person for the search committee, envisions a
three-week-long process culminating in the hiring of a new coach.
He already has a list of roughly 20 candidates, and he’s
placed an advertisement for the position on the NCAA News Web site
in search of more.
By the end of next week, Weiner hopes to have a shortlist of
three-to -five finalists in mind.
“We’re giving it a week in case there are any
coaches who are living in a cave and haven’t heard that the
position is open,” Weiner said. “Hopefully, we’ll
have it narrowed down soon.”
In the wake of Fitzgerald’s surprising decision to return
to the University of Tampa, there has been much speculation over
whether UCLA’s search would extend beyond the Bruin family.
Weiner silenced the debate Thursday when he declared it would be a
nation-wide search.
“It’s a mistake to be incestuous,” Weiner
said. “We found a jewel in Tom two years ago looking outside
of this program, and we’re going to try to find one again
this time. I’m not sure how many Toms there are out there
though.”
Weiner was vague in the criteria he would use to narrow the
field, but he did say that head coaching experience was not a
necessity. Other members of the search committee will include
Athletic Director Dan Guerrero and Associate Athletic Director
Betsy Stephenson, who conducted the previous two men’s soccer
coaching searches in 1999 and 2001.
“It will be a group effort,” Weiner said.
Weiner would not confirm what names were included in his pool of
20 candidates, but he did indicate that the list spanned the
spectrum from youth soccer all the way to the professional
ranks.
Among those believed to be included on the list is third-year
UCLA assistant coach Jorge Salcedo, Loyola Marymount coach Paul
Krumpe and Cal Poly Pomona coach Paul Caligiuri. St. Mary’s
coach Steve Rammel and Cal State Northridge coach Terry Davila are
also expected to apply.
Davila, one of the few candidates with no prior UCLA ties, said
Thursday that he would jump at the chance to come to Westwood.
“It’s very flattering to even be considered,”
the fifth-year coach said. “UCLA is the best job in America.
Certainly, it’s very intriguing for me.”
A number of players have already publicly expressed support for
Salcedo, but Weiner said he will not allow the team’s opinion
to be the decisive factor in choosing a new coach. He did, however,
confirm that Fitzgerald would be consulted frequently during the
hiring process.
“I absolutely will talk to Tom, and I already have,”
he said.
Earlier in the week, Fitzgerald also expressed support for
Salcedo, calling him “a good choice and a smooth
transition.”
“I hope they at least have a conversation with him,”
Fitzgerald said.
Weiner, who was a part of the committee that hired Fitzgerald in
2002, understands the process must not take longer than three weeks
with the signing period for men’s soccer slated to begin in
February.
UCLA has already received numerous calls and recommendations
from members of the soccer community, but Weiner expects to start
paring down the list immediately.