CLU Coach Ranges Far Off Course

If the Cal Lutheran golf team wins the NAIA District 3 championship on Monday, its coach, Bob Shoup, might celebrate with a bottle of fine French champagne. Which won’t be much of a problem for Shoup. He’ll be in Paris.

Shoup, also the school’s football coach, angered university officials by announcing only last Thursday that he was leaving Sunday for a six-week vacation in Europe. In addition to being coach of the golf team, Shoup also teaches two courses at the university: recreational leadership and body conditioning. The spring school session at Cal Lutheran ends in three weeks.

“His taking vacation was not cleared by me or the administration,” Cal Lutheran Athletic Director Robert Doering said Wednesday. “He made arrangements to have his classes covered by an assistant football coach.”

Doering indicated that some disciplinary action might be taken against Shoup when he returns on June 1.

“Things will be handled when he returns,” Doering said. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen a faculty member do this. It’s the first time I’ve ever been put in this situation.”

Doering refused to comment on the kind of action that might be taken against Shoup, who has coached the golf team for 11 years and the football team for 24 years.

“If there is any disciplinary action, that might not be announced,” Doering said. “It’s just like in a family. You handle things inside a family and you don’t go broadcasting it around.

“Right now, I don’t even know where he is.”

Shoup’s son, Rick, did.

“They’re in London through May 1, then they make the channel crossing to France,” he said. From there, Shoup and his wife go on to Italy, Germany, Denmark and Oslo.

Doering said assistant football coach Pete Alamar would coach the golf team in Monday’s NAIA tournament final against Point Loma, but Rick Shoup said his father left him in charge of the team.

“Pete will help me, though,” the younger Shoup said.

The winner of the match qualifies for the NAIA national tournament in Montgomery, Ala., in the first week of June. Rick Shoup said his father believes that Cal Lutheran will beat Point Loma in Monday’s 36-hole tournament. He said the coach would return in time for the trip to Alabama.

“He’s already made reservations for himself and six golfers,” Shoup said.