Cal State Dominguez Hills Narrows Choices for Men’s Head Basketball Coach
Four finalists to visit Carson campus beginning Tuesday
August 9, 2004

CARSON, Calif. -- The four final candidates for the Cal State Dominguez Hills men's head basketball coaching vacancy will visit campus this week for the final round of interviews. It is expected that the new head coach will be announced the week of August 16.

The four finalists, in alphabetical order, are USC assistant coach Bob Cantu; Newport Harbor High School head coach Larry Hirst; Compton College head coach Damaine Powell; and current CSUDH assistant coach Max Ward.

• Cantu has served the past three years under current USC head coach Henry Bibby and was recently promoted to assistant coach last May. Prior to USC, Cantu was an assistant coach for one year at Sacramento State.
• Hirst has been head coach at Newport Harbor HS the past nine seasons, leading the Sailors to the CIF playoffs for eight-consecutive seasons while being named the 1998 Orange County Coach of the Year. Prior to Newport Harbor, Hirst was the head coach at Edison High School where he guided the Chargers to a 20-8 record and a berth in the 1994 CIF Finals.
• Powell has been the Compton College head coach the past six years during which he has led the Tarters to two California State Championships during his tenure. Prior to Compton College, Powell was an assistant coach at USC, where he played for the Trojans from 1992-94.
• Ward has served as the assistant coach at CSUDH the past three seasons under former head coach Larry Hauser. Prior to joining the Toros, Ward was the head coach for one year at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina.

"We are excited about our final candidates," said Assistant Athletics Director and search committee chair, Lamel Harris. "It was very difficult narrowing our choices down to four as we had an excellent pool of candidates. But we feel these four individuals are exceptional coaches who stood out above and beyond the rest, and are confident that whomever we choose will again bring success to the CSUDH men’s basketball program."

Each candidate will interview with Athletics Director Ron Prettyman and University Administration for a full day this week. Each finalist also will have a chance to meet with the general campus community in an open session during his visit.

The following is the complete schedule of campus visits:
Bob Cantu, Tuesday, August 10
Max Ward, Wednesday, August 11
Larry Hirst, Thursday, August 12
Damaine Powell, Monday, August 16