by Greg MacDonald
Sports Editor
Athletic director Jim Paschal knew he had a good fit when he hired Dan Mulville as the successor to Mark Bagley, who took a job at Western Washington University, as the sports information director in December.
“We’ve been real fortunate in hiring good personnel. I’m happy with our entire staff,” Paschal said. “I’m real happy with Dan. He is a hands-on guy. He’s been a big help for me and my office.”
Mulville, also the assistant men’s basketball coach, spends about 75 percent of his work schedule, or 30 hours, on sports information. He also spends about four hours a day, six days a week with the basketball team.
“I don’t mind,” he said. “I am in a good position to do both.”
Mulville, who was hired as the sports information director in mid-December, combines his organizational skills with his ability to communicate with students, making his position a more hands-on approach.
“I’ve been organizing the work-study kids and I’ve been trying to train them in the different jobs that need to happen,” Mulville said. “I explain to them the importance of reliability and punctuality. For the most part, I think they are responding pretty well.”
Beyond the actual hours put into the training and organizing, Mulville adds a personal touch to his position.
“I call the kids all the time, reminding them that we have games coming up and that I expect them to work,” he said. “When I see them on campus, I remind them. And if they have a question or a problem, I tell them to come to me and I’ll try and solve it the best that I can.”
Aside from teaching his students how to take accurate statistics, Mulville works with them in dealing with other coaches on campus and other universities.
“I really think that game management and sports information is one of the most important public relations tool that this school has, simply because 99 percent of the schools we deal with are through athletics,” Mulville said. “And if they like the way they are treated and there is a professional atmosphere, they get a better impression of La Verne.
“That’s one reason I am really into [sports information] because I like the school and I want us to have a good reputation.”
Mulville, a 1990 graduate of UC San Diego, currently holds the position on a provisional basis, and according to Mulville, if the Athletic Department likes the job he has done, he will return as the sports information director next year.
“I am still learning [about the position],” Mulville said. “I have always been an indian never the chief.”
“Dan is great for the [sports] programs,” Paschal said. “We are fortunate to have somebody like Dan to say, ‘Let me take this job and run with it.’ It’s a good fit for him and for us.”
