Holmquist, Boyd Top Candidates at Chapman

Dave Holmquist of Biola College and Bob Boyd of Riverside College are early front-runners for the men’s basketball coaching job at Chapman College, a Chapman athletic department source said Wednesday.

The school stopped accepting applications Tuesday, and a seven-member committee is expected to make its decision by March 15.

Holmquist has won five National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District III championships at Biola. In 1982, Biola won 39 consecutive games before losing to South Carolina Spartanburg in the NAIA championship game.

“I enjoy it here (at Biola), but I might like a new challenge,” Holmquist said. “We’ve won 25 games here for eight years in a row and there are times when I feel I might like to try to do that somewhere else.”

Boyd took the job at Riverside for one season, after Dave Waxman took a year’s sabbatical. Boyd has coached at USC, Mississippi State and Seattle University, as well as Rancho Santiago College.

He met with Bowman two weeks ago to discuss the job.

“I’ve expressed my interest in the job and all that’s necessary is for me to send in a formal resume,” Boyd said.

Among the others being considered are Bob Schermerhorn, interim coach at Arizona State and former UC Irvine assistant, and Rich Prospero, Chapman interim coach.

“I’ve had some discussions with Walt about the selection process and what my chances were,” Prospero said. “I’ve just been taking things one day at a time. But, I really don’t know where I’m going to be come April.”

Prospero has guided the the Panthers to a 12-11 record (5-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.), despite numerous distractions.

Prospero replaced Lindsay Strothers as interim head coach two days after Strothers replaced Kevin Wilson. Wilson was fired the day before Thanksgiving, one game into the season.

Chapman also has an opening for a women’s basketball coach. Bowman said the committee will make that selection by late March of early April.