The Belle Vernon Area School Board had such a hard time picking a girls' basketball coach from their two finalists that they hired them both.
One for the girls' program and one for the boys' program.
At Monday's board meeting, Lisa Fairman was hired to guide the Lady Leps and Eric James was tabbed to coach the BVA boys' team. Both were hired at a salary of $9,029 for the 2011-12 season.
Also, the board hired Melvin Gouker to coach golf at a salary of $2,914 for 2011-12.
BVA Director Toni Jo Kunka, a member of the athletic committee along with Director Dan Sepesky, said the board was impressed with both James and Fairman after the final interviews.
She said that James, who also applied for the boys' job, was interviewed for the girls' post, but his interview went so well the board asked him if he would be interested in guiding the boys' program.
"(James) had such an outstanding interview and I thought his background as a player speaks for itself," Kunka said. "I think he is a great hire for the boys' program. And I think Lisa will bring a lot of enthusiasm and some new ideas for off-season training that will be a good addition.
"I just think having a coach for the boys who knows what it's like to run up and down the court is a good fit and the girls' program needed a woman coach," Kunka said.
BVA Athletic Director Jesse Cramer said he was pleased with the hires, noting that the board followed his recommendations in each case.
"I just thought they were the best candidates," Cramer said. He added that in the basketball positions, the district got some applicants with college experience.
James is no stranger to the area, having starred in basketball at Ringgold in the early 1970s and later serving as an assistant in both boys' and girls' basketball at his alma mater.
James, 53, who lives in Carroll Township, was the lone sophomore on Ringgold's 1973 PIAA championship team that also featured Ulice Payne and Joe Montana.
He went on to play college ball at Pitt-Bradford and Midwestern State University before earning his B.S. and masters degrees from Geneva College.
He was a girls' assistant at Ringgold from 2001-05 before switching to the boys' team as an aide from 2006-09. He then served as an assistant for the Lady Rams the last two seasons.
"I was a finalist for the girls' job, but the board asked me if I would consider the boys' job and I said I gladly would," said James. "I applied for both and I just love basketball."
James said he will bring hard work, dedication, a will to win and a fresh outlook to the program.
"I know all about what happened last year," James said of a BVA team that suffered through an agonizing one-win season in 20010-11.
"People will realize right off the bat how hard we will play," James said. "We will bring pressure on defense. It will all depend on what I have to work with.
"I will see what I have talent-wise and go from there."
Fairman, who lives in Pleasant Hills, was the head coach at Thomas Jefferson for two seasons (2002-04) and then left when her fifth child was born.
She got back into coaching as an assistant at Elizabeth Forward the last two seasons and was a finalist for the job there, but was not hired.
Fairman, a 1991 TJ graduate, said she wants to start "from the ground up" and rebuild the Lady Lep program.
"I want to provide some summer camps, open gym and conditioning programs for the girls," Fairman said. "I want to get to know the girls and put them into some new programs."
Fairman said she plans on bringing some new excitement to the program, along with some new ideas.
"I'm really excited," she said. "I can't wait to meet the girls."
Gouker, 32, is a math teacher at BVA and is a native of Glassport who now lives in Belle Vernon.
He said his goals are to continue the success of the school's successful golf program.
"I'm going to try and continue what (former coach) Jay Lustig did with the program and add a few of my own things at the same time," Gouker said.
The board voted 8-1 to hire James and Fairman with Director Aaron Bialon casting the lone negative vote.
Gouker was hired by a unanimous vote.
