Allen Rejects Offer by Long Beach

Former Ram Coach George Allen said Monday he turned down an offer to coach football at Cal State Long Beach, prompting university officials to scramble for an alternative candidate in time for today’s scheduled 2 p.m. news conference.

“I think I could have helped the school, but I have not accepted the job,� Allen said from his office at the National Fitness Foundation in El Segundo.

Allen met with 49er Athletic Director Corey Johnson over the weekend, but no agreement could be reached. Salary was one problem, since no 49er football coach has ever been paid more than $60,000.

Additionally, the school still has contracts to keep all seven assistants from the staff of former coach Larry Reisbig, 11-24 in three years at the school, resigned in November.

With Allen apparently out of the picture, the speculation is that Johnson intends to offer the job to New Orleans Saint assistant John Pease. An airline ticket for this morning from Dallas to Long Beach was bought in Pease’s name, apparently by Johnson, who booked the first part of the connecting flight from New Orleans under his own name.

However, before taking the field for Monday night’s game between the Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles, Pease told reporters in New Orleans that he had not heard from Long Beach.

Pease, 46, attended and later was an assistant coach at Fullerton College.

Others interviewed by Long Beach included University of Pittsburgh assistant Bill Meyers, USC defensive coordinator Chris Allen and El Camino College Coach John Featherstone.