Fenwick Among 3 Finalists for Northridge Job

NORTHRIDGE —  Cal State Northridge Athletic Director Paul Bubb, who has been criticized for allowing the school’s search for a football coach drag into the recruiting season, announced Thursday that three finalists will be interviewed next week, and a hiring is about a week away.

Valley College Coach Jim Fenwick, former Wake Forest defensive coordinator Chris Allen and Missouri associate head coach Skip Hall are the finalists.

“Each of these candidates brings a wealth of experience and an interest in seeing our football program continue to move ahead in the Big Sky Conference and nationally amongst all I-AA programs,” Bubb said in a prepared statement.

Bubb is expected to name a new coach no sooner than next Friday, more than three weeks after the start of the signing period for junior college players and less than four weeks before high school seniors can sign.

Bubb believed a coach could have been hired before Christmas if former coach Dave Baldwin had left for San Jose State a week earlier, but Baldwin’s Dec. 6 departure pushed the search into the holidays, slowing its progress.

As it was, Bubb spent New Year’s Day calling prospective coaches from his in-laws’ house in Idaho.

The three finalists were chosen from six applicants whose references were checked by the search committee.

The others on the short list, sources said, were Jeff Kearin, Northridge’s offensive coordinator and interim coach; Dave Lay, Colorado State’s offensive coordinator; and Robin Ross, Fresno State’s former defensive coordinator.

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And then there were three

A look at the finalists for the Cal State Northridge football head coaching position

Chris Allen

Last position: Wake Forest defensive coordinator

Allen, 55, spent the past four seasons with the Demon Deacons, but he left the program last month by what he called “a mutual deal” with Coach Jim Caldwell. Wake Forest upset Northwestern early this season, but lost eight of its last nine games to finish 3-8. Allen helped the Demon Deacon defense improve in nearly every category form 1994 to 1995, but Wake Forest finished last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total defense and seventh in scoring defense in 1996.

Before coming to Wake Forest, Allen spent six seasons as defensive coordinator under Larry Smith at USC. He was associate head coach for the final four years. Allen spent the previous seven seasons under Smith at Arizona. A graduate of Central Michigan, Allen served as offensive coordinator at his alma mater and defensive coordinator at Ball State.

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Jim Fenwick

Current position: Valley College head coach

Fenwick, 44, was a finalist for the Northridge job when Dave Baldwin was hired in 1995. Sources said Fenwick was the leading candidate but had a poor interview. Still, Fenwick resurfaced as a top candidate for the job because of his local ties and the strength of the program he has built at VAlley. In Fenwick’s six season, the Monarchs are 48-15-1, including 39-5 in the last four seasons. His pass-oriented offense is similar to the one Baldwin installed at Northridge.

Fenwick was the coach at Pierce for five seasons. He was 36-17 with the Brahmas, giving him an 84-32-1 record as a head coach. Fenwick also has served as an assistant at Northridge. In 1986, as well as seven seasons at Pierce, one at Valley, two at Miami of Ohio and one at Pacific.

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Skip Hall

Current Position: Missouri associate head coach

Hall, 52, was the Tigers’ defensive coordinator for one season before spending the past three in his present position. He also coaches inside linebackers. Missouri was 5-6 last season--its 13th consecutive losing record--but the Tigers finished with an upset of Kansas.

Hall came to Missouri after posting a 42-28 record in six seasons as head coach at Boise State, which was in the Big Sky Conference at the time. He led the Broncos to the Division 1-AA playoffs twice, reaching the semifinals in 1990. Before that he was an assistant under Don James, at Kent State in the early 1970s and then at Washington. He coached linebackers for the Huskies from 1975-86, also serving as assistant head coach for three of those seasons. Washington went to 10 bowl games in Hall’s 12 seasons.