Titans Name UC Irvine’s Bokosky as an Assistant Coach : Basketball: After 11 years on Anteater staff, 36-year-old will replace Bob Hoffman.

Mike Bokosky was hired Tuesday as an assistant basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton, a little more than a month after he was informed that his contract would not be renewed at UC Irvine.

Bokosky has been an assistant coach at Irvine for the past 11 seasons and was a candidate to replace Bill Mulligan, who resigned as head coach at the end of this past season. But the school hired Rod Baker, an assistant from Seton Hall, on April 11.

“This will be an easy transition for me,” said Bokosky, 36. “I’m familiar with the opponents and the recruiting on the West Coast. That’s where I have been recruiting for the last 11 years. I was really lucky that this job opened up.”

Bokosky will replace Bob Hoffman, who resigned in March and now is an assistant at Fresno State. His duties will be similar to those he had at Irvine.

“This is a great pick-up for us,” Fullerton Coach John Sneed said. “There are so many pluses to having Mike on our staff. He’s been around the Big West Conference as long as I have.”

Bokosky officially will become part of the Fullerton staff Monday after his contract with Irvine expires. Dan Dion is the Titans’ other assistant under Sneed.

While his departure from Irvine wasn’t bitter, it wasn’t exactly sweet either. He said he was one of nine candidates interviewed for the Anteater job.

He said he felt qualified, having been an assistant since Mulligan came to the school in 1980. Bokosky was interim head coach in 1985 after Mulligan suffered a stroke, but the school opted for Baker.

Bokosky said Baker never contacted him about whether he would remain as an Irvine assistant. Last month, Baker hired Tim Murphy, who had been a part-time assistant for the Anteaters.

Bokosky also said Athletic Director Tom Ford did not contact him regarding his position. Instead, he received a letter of dismissal in the mail.

“When they hired Rod, I knew I wasn’t going to be retained as coach,” Bokosky said. “In this business, that’s how it works. A new coach brings in his own supporting staff. Rod never talked to me. He never let me know, which I find unusual. But everyone has their own management style.”

Bokosky then contacted Sneed, whom he has known for 10 years. It was the only job he pursued.

“I was lucky that there was an opening in this area,” Bokosky said. “All and all, I think it has worked out well for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”