The Buccaneer

Issue date: 6/9/10 Section: News

Mitch Freeman

Lance Von Vogt

Robert Nielson

Tim Murphy

Peninsula College's quest for a new basketball coach has been narrowed down to four finalists, and as of June 8th a job offer has been made, but not accepted by the prospective coach. The Identity of the selected coach has been kept anonymous up to this point.

The four finalists, one of witch will be the next PC head basketball coach, are

• Mitch Freeman

2009-present: Assistant coach at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA

2005-2009: Assistant at Seattle Univ.

BS Kinesiology 2004, WSU

MEd Educational Admin., Grand Canyon Univ., 2008







• Tim Murphy

2001-2009: Assistant at Cal Poly

1997-2001: Assistant at St. Mary's College

1994-1997: Assistant at Cal State Univ.

1994: Game Management Director, World Cup Soccer, Los Angeles

1993: Head coach for Western Samoa National Team (won gold)

1985-88, 1989-1994: Asst. coach Univ. of California, Irvine

1988-1989: Asst. PLU

1983-85: Asst. Colorado State

BA Speech Communication, Colorado State, 1984



• Robert Nielson

1999-2009: Head coach Mt. Hood CC (164-99, 4 conf. championships, placed second, third, fifth, seventh and eighth at NWAACCs)

1990-1999: Asst. coach Brigham Young Univ.-Hawaii

1988-1990: Grad asst. Utah State Univ.

1985-1988: Asst. Dixie College, Ut.

MEd Phys Ed, Utah State, 1990

BS Business Mgt. BYU-Hawaii



• Lance Von Vogt

2006-present: Asst. Arizona Western Community College

2005-06: Dir. of Basketball Operations, Eastern Kentucky

2003-05: Head coach, Oxford College of Emory Univ. (first winning seasons in school history, two region championships, No. 10 ranking in NJCAA poll)

2000-02: Dir. of BB Operations, Georgia State

1999-00: Grad asst., Georgia State

MEd. Sports Admin, Georgia State, 2002

BA Mass Communication-Broadcast News, Univ. of S. Florida, 1998

In order to hire the new coach, the college has to pay his salary. The problem is that there is a hiring freeze for all colleges that receive state funding.

To get around the hiring freeze, Jack Hulls, vice president of student services, had to be creative in creating the coaches salary.First, a contract that is exempt from the hiring freeze is being used.

Second, the salary is being paid for from funds already available to the college.

The funds are coming from "the men's basketball and general college assistance accounts that are earmarked in the ASC budget," says Hulls.

For the time being, the ASC will be paying the new coaches salary, though this is not a permanent solution.

As Hulls says, "Budgeting decisions are reviewed on an annual basis, and we will continue to follow that process next year and in future years"

There is another option, asking the state for a complete exemption from the hiring freeze. This option was considered but rejected, says Rick Ross, director of athletics. The application for the exemption would take time. The new coach is needed as soon as possible.

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