Hearlihy Not Going Quietly

MISSION HILLS — As they have in so many basketball games in which she has coached, Alemany High’s players are rallying for Melissa Hearlihy.

Hearlihy, 35, among the region’s most successful girls’ basketball coaches in the 1990s and who is known for her aggressive coaching style, will not walk away from a job she held for 12 years without a fight.

Fired by the archdiocese of Los Angeles on June 5 for undisclosed reasons, Hearlihy filed a grievance with the archdiocese, of which Alemany is a member. She expects a decision in the next two weeks and as early as June 27.

But the process could take anywhere from 20 to 60 business days, according to Rev. Gregory Coiro, director of media relations of the archdiocese.

Meanwhile, Alemany team members--past and present--have shown strong support for Hearlihy by writing letters and making phone calls to newspapers, the school and the archdiocese.

“We have a fear of our program being destroyed by this,” said Nicole Klosterman, a sophomore swingman last season.

Damon Zumwalt, whose daughter, Devan, was a sophomore forward for Alemany last season, said after Devan was dismissed from the team by Hearlihy, he submitted a complaint in writing to the archdiocese regarding Hearlihy’s conduct. Later he was summoned for a meeting with archdiocese officials.

On June 5, Hearlihy, who has coached the Indians to five Southern Section championship games in six years, was informed that her contract, which expires June 30, would not be renewed for the next school year.

Hearlihy, who was cautioned by her attorney not to speak about the subject of her dismissal or grievance, sounded upbeat Wednesday.

“I really am [encouraged],” she said. “The community has been extremely supportive. . . .

“I just have to wait and see what [the grievance committee does],” she said.

Also awaiting the decision are team members, who defeated Agoura in their first summer-league game Tuesday night.

“She’s the greatest coach I’ve ever had,” Klosterman said. “We’ll do anything to get her back and I’m sure everybody on the team feels the same way.”

Devan Zumwalt has not been practicing with the team and did not attend Tuesday’s game.