New Leader Is Saluted by His Men in Uniform

NORTHRIDGE — Several weeks ago, when Jim Fenwick was first mentioned as a candidate for the Cal State Northridge coaching job, a few of the Matador players quietly spread the word.

Quarterback Aaron Flowers and wide receiver Cameron Perry, among others, had played for Fenwick at Valley College.

“They told us about him,” linebacker Marc Goodson said. “I heard only good things.”

Wide receiver Jerome Henry added: “If [Flowers and Perry] felt comfortable with him, then I felt comfortable with him.”

So there were plenty of smiles among the players who gathered at Friday’s press conference to announce Fenwick as coach. He arrives at a crucial moment in the history of the Northridge football program.

Last season, the Matadors emerged from years of mediocrity to become a surprise contender, finishing third in the Big Sky Conference with a 7-4 record. Even with former Coach Dave Baldwin departing for San Jose State, Northridge is expected to start the season in the top 25 of Division I-AA.

“This is a really important time,” said Jeff Kearin, the offensive coordinator under Baldwin. “We could sink or swim right now.”

Fenwick is hoping to provide a smooth transition, to “continue the momentum,” as he puts it.

The new coach appears to have several factors in his favor.

First and foremost, he inherits an impressive number of returning starters. Flowers comes back after setting a school single-season record with 3,540 passing yards. He will be joined by two of the top three running backs, four of the top six receivers and five top linemen.

They will be handed a familiar playbook. Fenwick runs a wide-open, single-back offense that resembles the one favored by Baldwin. And, though Baldwin took several top assistants with him to San Jose, Kearin will remain in some capacity.

“I’m especially relieved about that,” Henry said.

On defense, Goodson comes back after setting a school single-season record with 150 tackles. He will have much of last season’s defense around him.

If Fenwick faces a significant obstacle, it is in recruiting.

Northridge needs a defensive lineman who can rush the quarterback, two safeties, a linebacker and a punter. The school was criticized for letting its search for a new coach drag well into the recruiting process.

More than three weeks have passed since the start of the signing period for junior college players. A month remains before high school seniors can sign.

Kearin has acted as interim coach since Baldwin’s departure and has done the best he could to court potential players. He insists that Fenwick will make up for lost time.

“He’s a very recognized name in junior college football, which is where we’ve been recruiting this spring,” Kearin said. “All the California kids know Jim Fenwick and they know what he accomplished at Valley.”

So far, Kearin said, none of Northridge’s most-prized prospects have committed to other schools.

“We’ve told them to hang tough with us,” he said. “They’ve all been receptive.”

It doesn’t hurt to hire a man who has a reputation for getting along well with his players. When Fenwick recently visited campus to interview with members of the selection committee, he stopped by the weight room to introduce himself to a dozen or so Matadors.

“He said all the right things,” Kearin said. “In a 20-second conversation, you could tell that they took to him.”

On Friday, a smiling Perry insisted that Northridge made the best possible choice.

“His style of coaching is real cool,” the junior wide receiver said. “He’s laid back in his own way. He cracks jokes. He has fun at practice. That’s what I like.”