GARRETT WAIT
Sports Editor
Pepperdine’s athletic director, Dr. John Watson, began the search for Pepperdine’s next men’s basketball head coach yesterday, only one week after dismissing Paul Westphal, the coach of the Waves for the past five seasons.
Watson will head up the search, which is still in its preliminary stages, but he’ll get help from a committee of people including Pepperdine alumnus and former UC Berkeley athletic director John Kasser who runs Kasser Sports and Development.
Watson said the committee has its eyes on a specific type of coach, but won’t be able to name any names until the list is pared down more.
“We’re looking for somebody who’s energetic, upbeat and committed to making athletes better,” Watson said. “They have to put an emphasis on graduation rates and be in harmony with the university’s mission. We want a coach who will energize the men’s basketball program.”
One player, freshman forward/center Chris Oakes, has his own opinion of what the next coach should bring to the table.
“Obviously (we want) someone who cares about the players and looks out for the best interests of the team,” Oakes said. “It should be someone who does his best to make sure the team reaches its potential.”
The committee’s emphasis on the university’s mission statement will be a driving force in making sure they get the right coach for the job, Watson said.
“I think it’s got to have a lot of weight,” Watson said. “The heart of this institution is its mission to provide solid, quality Christian education. I don’t think any portion of the university can be any less than based in that.”
To make sure the next coach will embody the mission of the university, Watson said the committee would conduct a thorough search before naming a list of three to five finalists.
“We’ll do background checks on the various candidates,” Watson said. “We’ll be looking at our perception of them and their experience and their match with the university’s needs then narrow it down to list of finalists.”
Players still reeling
A week after the sudden firing of Paul Westphal, the men’s basketball program is still in shock. The team has resumed individual workouts and conditioning under interim coach Patrick Whitlock, but players are still in a state of disbelief.
“I was a little shocked and devastated because I didn’t see it coming,” said freshman forward/center Chris Oakes.
Whitlock said the team hasn’t just been devastated by the sudden announcement of Westphal’s termination, injuries have taken their toll on the team as they try to press forward with conditioning drills.
“We’re still a little banged up, so we’ve only got about eight guys who can practice,” Whitlock said. “That’s enough for us to do conditioning and fundamental work. That’s all we really can do since we don’t know what the new coach’s system is going to be.”
Whitlock said he and the players are slowly coming to grips with Westphal being let go.
“They feel better this week than they did last week,” Whitlock said. “They’re still in a little bit of shock that it actually happened. You hate to compare it to death of a family member, but it gets a little easier each day. I’m kind of going through the same thing as well.”
With so much uncertainty, there has been talk of several players leaving the program, but despite being caught off guard by the firing, Oakes made it clear he plans to remain a Wave when the new coaching staff comes in.
“My intentions are to stay,” Oakes said.
Whitlock said the team needs to rely on each other throughout the offseason, which is why he laid out a motto during conditioning drills.
“Our theme over the next few weeks will be to stay together,” Whitlock said.
Blake Wallace, the top recruit of next year’s recruiting class, his status at Pepperdine has been the subject of several rumors, but Whitlock said he believes Wallace will honor his commitment to Pepperdine.
“I talked to Blake last week,” Whitlock said. “He wants to speak with the new coach, of course. I encouraged him to keep his options open, but I would be shocked if he’s not a Wave next year.”
For the current members of the team, sticking together will be a major part of the transition to the new coaching staff. Oakes said the future is still bright for the young team, especially if all the players remain Waves.
“As long as we work hard and everyone stays here, we’ll continue to reach for our goal of making the postseason,” Oakes said. “I think this team is going to be really good as long as they stay here, all the complimentary players. We have a chance to do big things.”
No other players could be reached for comment.
03-23-2006
