Received word this morning that former men’s assistant and initial women’s head coach Dan Ayala has passed away. Dan was Jerry’s lead assistant on his first staff at UNLV in 73-74. He was a very successful CA JC coach first at Mt. San Jacinto and later when he replaced Jerry as head coach at Pasadena CC. Jerry highly recommended him to then Pasadena President Dr. Sarafian.
After following Jerry at Pasadena where he would lead them to a state title in 69, Dan became the head coach at Cal Poly Pomona. When Jerry was compiling names for his original staff at UNLV Dan was near the top of the list. He was a great teacher of the game.
Following the 74-75 season Dan became the initial head coach for UNLV’s women’s basketball program. To do this day he still holds the highest winning percentage in the women’s programs history and coached one of the program’s greats, Belinda Candler.
Much like Jerry, Dan was quite a character, and as Jerry did with the NCAA had no problems knocking up against the AIAW which was the women’s governing body at the time. After being placed on probation in 77 one of the penalties was the staff was prohibited from offering scholarships. Dan got around it and continued fielding freshman, but avoid penalty as they were technically under scholarship to other sports. One of Dan’s great quotes was about his relationship with the AIAW, “I’m everything they can’t stand – I’m fat, smoke a cigar, opinionated…and worst of all, I’m a man.”
Unfortunately Dan was dismissed following the 79-80 season after an internal investigation over a rather frivolous rules violation (things were much stricter back then than today). He would have done some great things for the woman’s program had he remained coach. Worse, he got out of coaching and went into the advertising business.
He and Jerry would remain close. Was always good seeing him at the Del Mar race track get togethers. Helluva guy and coach, he will be missed.
After following Jerry at Pasadena where he would lead them to a state title in 69, Dan became the head coach at Cal Poly Pomona. When Jerry was compiling names for his original staff at UNLV Dan was near the top of the list. He was a great teacher of the game.
Following the 74-75 season Dan became the initial head coach for UNLV’s women’s basketball program. To do this day he still holds the highest winning percentage in the women’s programs history and coached one of the program’s greats, Belinda Candler.
Much like Jerry, Dan was quite a character, and as Jerry did with the NCAA had no problems knocking up against the AIAW which was the women’s governing body at the time. After being placed on probation in 77 one of the penalties was the staff was prohibited from offering scholarships. Dan got around it and continued fielding freshman, but avoid penalty as they were technically under scholarship to other sports. One of Dan’s great quotes was about his relationship with the AIAW, “I’m everything they can’t stand – I’m fat, smoke a cigar, opinionated…and worst of all, I’m a man.”
Unfortunately Dan was dismissed following the 79-80 season after an internal investigation over a rather frivolous rules violation (things were much stricter back then than today). He would have done some great things for the woman’s program had he remained coach. Worse, he got out of coaching and went into the advertising business.
He and Jerry would remain close. Was always good seeing him at the Del Mar race track get togethers. Helluva guy and coach, he will be missed.
