Ventura, Oxnard Coaches Get Full-Time Promotions

After being in limbo for weeks, Virgil Watson and Ron McClurkin finally got the good news: They have their coaching jobs back.

The coaches were approved Tuesday night by the Ventura County Community College District to full-time posts, Watson at Ventura and McClurkin at Oxnard.

Watson coached the Pirates to the men’s state championship last season, his first as head coach. McClurkin’s season was his third at Oxnard.

Neither man has been employed by the district on a permanent, full-time basis.

Watson was hired at Ventura for a one-year term after Phil Mathews left the school last summer to become coach at the University of San Francisco. McClurkin had been teaching physical education at Los Angeles City College and coaching at Oxnard as a walk-on.

The position at Oxnard was upgraded to a full-time teaching and coaching job and, like the one at Ventura, was opened to applicants to satisfy labor laws.

Watson and McClurkin were recommended for board approval by administrators at Ventura and Oxnard.

“I’m ready to get going,” McClurkin said.

Under Watson, the Pirates finished 34-2 and won their second consecutive state title and fourth in school history. He was Mathews’ top assistant at Ventura from 1990 to 1994 and was an assistant at UC Santa Barbara during the 1994-95 season. Watson was head coach at Valley College from 1985 to 1987.

McClurkin has a 30-58 record at Oxnard and the Condors were 2-25 last season. He was the head coach at El Camino College from 1988-91 and was named South Coast Conference coach of the year in his first two seasons with the Warriors.

“It’s been difficult being in a one-year position,” Watson said. “It’s nice to feel comfortable.”