FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Fresno State women’s basketball head coaching job is open, after the retirement of Jaime White last week, and one name getting mentioned as a possible candidate was Craig Campbell, the orchestrator of the Clovis West girls basketball dynasty.
Although he wasn’t sure if he would considering leaving Clovis West at this point, Campbell told Sports Central early last week that many people were encouraging him to apply for the Fresno State job, and he was at least considering it.
But he has since been told that he will not be considered for the head coaching job at Fresno State, because he does not meet one of the requirements listed on the job posting.
The posting for the job on the school’s careers page says a “minimum of five years of coaching and/or playing playing experience at the NCAA or professional level” is required.
Craig has 31 years of high school coaching experience – 11 at Reno High School, and the last 20 at Clovis West – but does not have that minimum of five years at the NCAA level on his resume.
He told Sports Central Sunday that he inquired with Fresno State Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy about that provision in the posting, and was told the “minimum five years was required to move forward in the process.”
Campbell, who won an Open Division state championship at Clovis West in 2017, and has won 13 consecutive Central Section championships there, does not understand why such a requirement would be in place.
“The verbiage makes zero sense, per the way it is written,” wrote Campbell in a text to Sports Central. “A player who played five years of collegiate basketball, but has never coached, qualifies for the job, while a veteran coach of 31 years and 768 wins, does not.”
Campbell is also a coach in the high-level Nike EYBL on the women’s AAU circuit, and told Sports Central he has coached seven McDonald’s All-Americans in the last three years.
“I had five head coaches of Division I programs willing to call on my behalf,” wrote Campbell. “Two of which are coaching in the women’s NCAA Elite 8, as well as the head coach and a general manager of a WNBA franchise.”
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