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Exactly one year, nine months and 6 days ago, Pepperdine hired Vance Walberg to restore the men’s basketball team from the hopeless state that his predecessor, Paul Westphal, had let it reach.
Four months and 23 days later, in September of 2006, the Graphic printed in this very spot of the paper that the hiring of Walberg “has the potential to become one of the greatest moves in Pepperdine athletic history … and is sure to make those Zags long for the good ‘ol Adam Morrison days.”
It’s easy to laugh at those words now. The thing is, Walberg brought the stats in the bag when he came to Pepperdine. He brought with him a career record of 292-29 and an exciting, high-powered style of play that is still being adopted by NBA teams today.
Yet one week ago, the Pepperdine community was blindsided when Walberg abruptly resigned in the midst of his second-straight losing season, citing personal and family reasons. It was less than a year ago that another Graphic article stated: “For Walberg, taking on the responsibility of a Division I basketball program has been a blessing for the family.”
It’s hard to understand how such a blessing turned into a good enough reason to leave. It’s hard to understand much of what’s been going on with the men’s team, but that doesn’t mean the Pepperdine community should sit back and try to make sense of it all. What we should be doing, instead, is embracing the other 14 sports teams.
While we ponder about who will represent the basketball team’s fourth head coach since the start of the decade, we should support a coach who is in the midst of his 25th year of leading the men’s volleyball team. Marv Dunphy, widely recognized as one of the game’s premier coaches, has coached Pepperdine to four NCAA men’s volleyball titles and holds an impressive career record of 452-173 (.723).
Dunphy’s players provide some entertainment, themselves. Juniors Paul Carroll and J.D. Schleppenbach may not put on a flashy dunk show like Daniel Johnson of the basketball team, but they do know how to get their team and the crowd pumped up — something no member of the basketball team has learned to do. And, besides, when was the last time we actually saw one of our players dunk during a (real) basketball game?
Another team to keep an eye on while shaking your head over the men’s woes is their counterpart, the women’s basketball team. Head Coach Julie Rousseau and the Waves take on the Lady Bulldogs of Gonzaga at Firestone Fieldhouse on Feb. 9. It’s safe to say the women won’t allow a 35-point loss like the one the men dropped to the Zags days before Walberg’s departure. No win or national television coverage is promised, but at least
junior Jessica Ross, senior Daphanie Kennedy and company know how to have a little fun on the court.
If indoor sports are not for you, the national champion men’s tennis team would be happy to host you during its 12-match home stand beginning March 12. And for those just too impatient for that time to come, the Pepperdine baseball team sure knows how to please a crowd.
Head Coach Steve Rodriguez never fails to put a solid team on the field every year. And if fly balls and walks and balks and bullpens are too much for your mind to comprehend, you can still enjoy the warmth of the sun with a hot dog in hand and ocean in view.
And with all the NCAA talk, it can be easy to forget the numerous club sports here that benefit from support. The lacrosse, rugby and men’s soccer teams all play this spring.
Walberg may be gone, but Pepperdine is not lacking in sports entertainment. The Graphic wishes Walberg the best as the Athletic Department attempts to fill his shoes. Maybe they should give Adam Sandler a shot at the job since he’s been known to frequent our basketball courts. Then again, we don’t need another “Waterboy.”
Submitted 01-24-2008
MALIBU, CA
