Ventura May Be Stripped of Title

VENTURA — The perennially powerful Ventura College men’s basketball program will likely be stripped of its 1996 state championship as the result of an investigation that accuses former coach Virgil Watson of breaking a litany of state rules--including providing players with money.

A report issued Wednesday by the Ventura Community College District alleges that Watson and other representatives of the school also arranged for basketball players to receive free or reduced-rate meals, free rent, loans, access to school telephones, keys to college offices and free transportation.

“It’s one of the worst breaking of the rules I’ve seen in 18 years as commissioner of the Western State Conference,” Aviva Kamin said after reading a copy of the 11-page report.

Kamin said she will recommend to conference officials that the Pirates be stripped of their 1996 and ’97 WSC titles. She expects the state Commission on Athletics to revoke the state title.

“It really wasn’t a level playing field,” Kamin said. “I’m sure the conference will [revoke the title] and I cannot imagine the state not doing the same. I don’t remember exactly, but it has happened once or twice before. I’ve never been involved in something [like this] where that hasn’t happened.”

Kamin said the conference will make its decision after Ventura College administrators submit suggestions for self-imposed penalties within the next month. Additional punishment could include suspension of the program for up to two years, Kamin said.

The program likely will be placed on supervisory probation, forcing school administrators to submit quarterly reports to the conference.

The five-month investigation, conducted by a team of former FBI agents, alleges that Watson co-signed a lease for two Ventura players and paid $1,943 to settle outstanding debts for two apartments rented by players.

The report also accuses Watson of providing players with as much as $200 in spending money, paying for their meals and using a district-owned vehicle to move players’ personal belongings into their apartments. The coach also reportedly was observed conversing on the telephone in an attempt to recruit out-of-district players.

Watson, who coached Ventura for two seasons, was dismissed in March for a variety of stated reasons, including poor teaching ability and allegations of illegal recruiting.

Watson, who the district said did not cooperate with the investigation, could not be reached for comment.

The report also stated that, in addition to Watson, numerous coaches, faculty, mentors and boosters repeatedly violated state rules by subsidizing players or providing them with assistance, including free meals at local restaurants. No players, faculty, staff or boosters were mentioned by name in the report.

The report said there was no evidence found to support allegations that Ventura used academically illegal players during Watson’s tenure.

Ventura College President Larry Calderon, who co-authored the report with district Chancellor Philip Westin, said the school will continue to examine the program but it is likely that no faculty or staff members will face disciplinary action.

“We were able to corroborate [accusations] with testimony to a point that we felt it was legally defensible to say, ‘Yes, we can make this statement,’ ” Calderon said. “Then, that information was included in the report. What the report says, in relation to Virgil Watson, are very specific things, violations that were attributable to the person responsible for the day-to-day operation of the men’s basketball program.”

Players questioned during practice Wednesday said they had no knowledge of Watson providing financial assistance or breaking rules.

“I can’t answer that because I don’t know anything about it,” sophomore forward Donte Lincoln said. “There’s nothing I can say.”

Said sophomore forward Arthur Karuletwa: “It’s false. I think [Watson] was wronged.”

Dick James, Ventura College’s athletic coordinator, said he was aware of rumors of alleged misconduct by Watson but was unsuccessful in attempts to change the coach’s behavior. James said he had no knowledge of Watson providing players with money, or of other serious infractions, until the investigation began.

“We knew that some of this was going on and we tried to control it, in-house, and deal with it in that situation,” James said.

James declined to elaborate on details of his testimony to investigators. But he said he believes the team should not be forced to relinquish its state title.

“We didn’t play with any illegal players,” James said.

The investigation included interviews with more than 70 members of the school’s administration, faculty and staff.

Watson replaced Phil Mathews, who led Ventura to two state championships in 10 years before leaving to become coach at the University of San Francisco. Watson, an assistant to Mathews, compiled a 60-9 record in two years.

Two weeks ago, Glen Hefferman, former coach of Columbia College in Sonora, was hired as the Pirates’ coach. Jim Keating, coach at Shasta College in Redding, accepted the position in July but abruptly reconsidered to remain a physical education teacher at Shasta.