SoCal College News & Reviews

Former State Champ Ventura College
Suspends Program--(November 9, 1997)

Ventura College, as expected shut down its basketball program Friday. In just two short years, the program has gone from State Champions to non-existant. The team was without a coach, without six players, and literally could not function in time for this season. James Calderon, Ventura County President made the announcement Friday, saying "After talking to the players and reviewing all the facts, it appears that suspension is the best course of action at this time."

For those who've been following this story, the program was placed on suspension by the Wester Conference of the California Community College Athletic Commission for recruiting violations and leauge rule violations committed by former coach Virgil Watson, who was fired last March. Among the infractions listed were paying cash to players, providing housing, and improper use of school facilities and vehicles.

The WSC suspended the program for two years from post season play.

Additionally, when Watson was fired, the school interviewed and selected Glen Hefferman, formerly the coach at Columbia College in Sonoma. Hefferman claims the school did not tell him of the WSC investigation until after he had accepted the job, quit the Sonoma post, and moved his family to Ventura. By then, however, the WSC had declared the program on probation.

Hefferman reacted by moving his family to Chicago (his home town), and informing the adminstration and players that he wasn't certain he would stay unless the WSC relented and removed the probation.

Two weeks ago, Hefferman and several players made an appeal to the WSC for leniency. The WSC reacted not by being more lenient, but by suspending six of the players who had been involved in the infractions with Watson.

Last week, Hefferman "quit" the team, vacated his apartment in Ventura, and moved back to Chicago. He did not say whether he would ever return, but just left town. "We don't have a coach," Calderon said. "Hefferman has left the area and has been calling in sick daily with no indication of when or if he's going to return."

Calderon obviously made the right decision. Only six of the teams eligible players (about half) elected to continue with the team this season. As a practical matter there was no way they could actually field a team, much less participate in competition, and Calderon's decision actually will allow these players an additional year of eligibility either at Ventura if it ever reinstates the program, or at some other college.

A few of the players though vehemently disagreed with the decision. Forward Danny Herrera, who had come to Ventura to play told the LA Times on Friday that "I feel like they stuck a dagger in my heart and cut off my head. All the guys are upset with the administration. I have no respect for them for what they did."

The Ventura players can still transfer and be elegible this season if a team is willing to take them. Several local teams have been contacted including Oxnard JC, and Moorpark Community College. Oxnard's coach Ron McClurkin said he might be willing to help two of the players who contacted him, but Moorpark's Remy McCarthy said his team is full for now.

And the most amazing and sad part of this whole story is that Watson reportedly hasn't even apologized and will undoubtedly go on to coach somewhere else.

What a shame.

As Exavien Browder, a sophomore on the team told reporters, "It's like a movie script, but this time, the good guys didn't win."

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