High school notebook: Vince Fanucchi's job title changed to 'assistant'
| Wednesday, Sep 30 2009 10:03 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Sep 30 2009 11:04 PM
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Vince Fanucchi
Whatever shake-up is secretly happening within the Garces athletic department, it clearly has affected at least three faculty members.
Two days after football coach David Fanucchi reportedly told his players that he would resign at the end of the season and the day after all Garces officials, staff and students were given a gag order by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, Garces' website revealed another personnel change.
The site lists Vince Fanucchi -- David's older brother -- as the school's assistant athletic director. Vince Fanucchi had been the only athletic director until last year, when Lela Steiber was named the girls athletic director. Fanucchi remained the boys AD into this school year. Sometime in the past month, however, his title was changed to assistant.
The school's boys and girls swimming coach, Bill Potter, confirmed Monday that he also has resigned.
The changes have some surrounding the Garces program surprised.
Sean McNally, a Bakersfield College freshman football player who also played three varsity seasons under David Fanucchi, said he heard about the coach's resignation via several text messages Monday.
"I respect the heck out of the guy," McNally said. "I was just shocked.
"... Coach Fanucchi, once he starts something, he wants to finish. He's a professional. At Garces, we're always trying to get better, trying to accomplish something good. And (Fanucchi announcing a forthcoming resignation) in the middle of the year doesn't seem like you've finished something."
McNally added that he had heard David Fanucchi had been forced to resign or "that he resigned because of some stuff in administration."
A third Fanucchi brother, John, is the school's president.
However, principal Kathleen Bears, who replaced the late Robert Garcia in 2008, is in charge of personnel decisions at the school.
When reached Wednesday, she answered multiple questions with the same response: "I am prohibited by the Diocese of Fresno from discussing personnel issues."
The Californian made phone contact twice Wednesday with Steiber, but both calls ended abruptly, without a comment from Steiber.
-- Assistant Sports Editor Ross Priest and staff writer Jeff Evans contributed to this report
Burris to visit trio of D-Is
Stockdale senior guard Jordan Burris is taking official recruiting visits to the men's basketball programs at Nevada-Reno, Lamar (in Beaumont, Texas) and Pepperdine in the next three weekends, according to the Reno (Nev.) Gazette-Journal.
All three are Division I programs.
Burris led the Mustangs last year in points (23.0 a game), rebounds (8.3), assists (3.0), steals (2.1) and blocks (1.6).
Centennial-Stockdale tickets
Centennial and Stockdale High Schools are pre-selling tickets for their football game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Stockdale.
Tickets are available in each school's finance office from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. today and from 8 a.m.-noon on Friday.
Volleyball club tryouts
Club Jamba will hold tryouts for 12, 13 and 14-year-olds this weekend at its gym on California Avenue.
12-year-old tryouts are from 9-11 Saturday morning and again from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. 13- and 14-year-olds will try out from 9-11 Sunday morning and then from 1-3 that afternoon. Visit clubjamba.org for details.
