BRIEFLY : Pierce Narrows Field for New Athletic Director

A search committee at Pierce College has settled on three candidates to replace Bob O’Connor as athletic director.

The final candidates are Mary McWilliams, who presently serves as women’s athletic director and, if selected, would fill both positions; Bob Lyons, a business professor and former baseball coach who is expected to be an assistant for the Pierce baseball program next year, and Erwin Goldblum, chairman of the men’s physical education department and wrestling coach at Pierce.

Ed Bravo, a former athletic director, declined an invitation to be considered as a candidate, said Richard Moyer, assistant dean in charge of physical education and intercollegiate athletics.

The committee, headed by Pierce President David Wolf, will interview the candidates Wednesday. A decision is expected at the conclusion of those interviews, Moyer said. O’Connor resigned earlier this month.

Under the faculty union contract, Wolf has the authority to name the new athletic director. He is joined on the committee by Moyer and Pierce administrative Vice President William Norlund.

Tentative JC Budget Hike Ignores Athletic Programs

A $238-million budget for the 1986-1987 school year was tentatively approved Wednesday by the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. A final vote on the budget will be made in September when the district’s funding is finalized by Gov. George Deukmejian.

The tentative budget reflects a $22-million increase over 1985-1986.

None of the budget increase appears headed to athletic programs in the district. Funding for those programs is determined by individual schools. Pierce, Valley and Mission college officials say that each will have roughly the same budget as last year.

Intercollegiate athletics and physical education departments will lose at least seven full-time instructors to layoffs, and 23 part-time coaches will be fired June 30 as part of district-wide cutbacks in faculty and staff.