By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Northview High School issued a press release on Tuesday crafted by the “Northview administrative team” to announce that the school promoted junior varsity boys basketball coach Eric Johnson to take over the Vikings varsity program, succeeding legendary coach Ron Rice, who retired after 41 years and who started teaching at Northview in 1969.
The letter was released by athletic director David Ochoa, who along with principal Dr. Josie Paredes, made the decision.
Johnson graduated from Northview in 2007 and competed for San Francisco State University. Most recently, he has been the junior varsity coach the past two seasons. Johnson is not a full-time teacher, he’s a substitute working on his teaching certification.
It was a surprising decision considering Ron Rice’s son Brian Rice, his top assistant for more than a decade and the head of the social studies department at Northview, also had applied to succeed his father and continue the Rice legacy at the school.
Those were also Ron Rice’s sentiments, who admitted his disappointment last week when Ochoa confirmed the school had decided not to promote Brian Rice because of philosophical differences, a decision that Ochoa and Paredes, a first-year principal at the school, agreed on.
It is not known whether Brian Rice will challenge the decision citing the 1997 Rialto ruling by the California State Supreme Court, which determined that if a qualified candidate who works in the district applies for a coaching position, they’re entitled to a hiring preference over non-teachers.
The 4-3 decision by the court ruled school districts can decide its own standards, but must hire any teacher who meets those standards.
In any case, Ochoa stands by the school’s decision.
“I’ve been here 24 years and I’m behind her (Paredes) decision,” Ochoa said last week. “I think she’s a good person, and it wasn’t an easy decision for her, but it’s her decision. There’s just a difference in philosophy.”
It was a decision that didn’t sit well with Ron Rice, whose relationship with the school is strained after four decades in charge.
“Mark Sims, the principal before (Paredes), said it was cut and dry Brian would be the coach when I left,” Ron Rice said. “Those were his wishes. He told me to coach as long as I liked and when you’re ready to make the switch, make the switch. It always seemed like the natural thing to do. He’s here, he teaches here and he’s been doing this with me for a long time.
“After 44 great years, to have this (decision) in my mind tarnishes it a bit.
Ochoa and Paredes have chose not to explain the reason for passing over Brian Rice, a teacher at the school, in favor of a walk-on coach.
But the principal and athletic director showed confidence in its new leader through its press release.
“Eric will bring an energetic and enthusiastic approach to our basketball program,” the statement read. “It is Eric’s vision to help student athletes to be successful both on the court and in the classroom. We are extremely excited for Eric Johnson to be named as the new head coach and take over the Northview Basketball Program.”