By Amit Shilton
Sports Editor
After being all but promised a full-time position by his former athletic director, Bob Cholette is still a part-time employee. And the current administration doesn’t see him earning a full-time paycheque any time soon.
Cholette, in his third year as head coach of the women’s volleyball team, is one of three Ryerson coaches at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level without a full-time job. The others are women’s soccer coach Peyvand Mossavat and men’s soccer coach Tony La Ferrara.
“I just don’t have enough hours in the day to do what I need to do,” said Cholette, adding that the only other team in the province without a women’s volleyball full-time coach is Lakehead University. “It just gives us a competitive disadvantage.”
Former athletic director David Dubois said in February 2007, weeks before he was fired, that there would be the money to hire Cholette.
Marion Creery, director of Student Services, says that there is no room in the forseeable budget to pay Cholette a full-time salary. Unless the school somehow secures financial assistance, she doesn’t see how they will be able to afford it.
“I can’t tell you why Dave thought it was possible,” she said. “People are hopeful at times.”
With the women’s volleyball team currently in a rebuilding mode, Cholette thinks that if the university were to ever promote him, now would be the best time. He argues this way his young team will be able to mature as players within his system as a full-time coach.
With a full-time position, Cholette would have time to study game film and recruit more extensively. It would also relieve him from an exhausting schedule of working two jobs.
Giving Cholette a raise is one of the athletic department’s top priorities, said acting athletic director Jean Kennedy. She added that the department would like to see Cholette as a full-time coach, but it’ll ultimately have to be a move made by a new athletic director.
But Cholette says he’s heard the same tune before.
“I don’t know whether or not to belive that, but I was told that last year.”
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