The UMass Boston Athletics Department’s hunt for a head coach for the women’s soccer and softball teams is still underway, one and a half months before the next softball season starts. The predecessor, Gretchen Randall, was fired after coaching the soccer team for four years and the softball squad for three seasons.

It’s not an easygoing situation since a season opener of a softball team is usually in mid-March, when the Beacons have an annual spring training camp one week prior to the beginning of a regular season.

The application for the job was first posted on the department’s website on January 7.

“We have a pool of candidates,” Pat Burns, Interim Director of Athletics & Recreation said, “and out of those applicants, there are five selected by our search committee. We’re scheduling interviews right now.” Burns added that the five candidates, their names not revealed, will appear on campus for interviews with the committee sometime next week.

The search committee, consisting of six members inside the organization, including two representing both the teams, will narrow down the candidates to three finalists. Burns will interview with them, check their backgrounds and references before he finally makes an appointment, which will determine a recipient of $32,500 – $36,972 annual salary based on negotiation.

The job description, according to the department, says that an applicant is required a to have B.A. or B.S. in an appropriate discipline, and is desired to demonstrate ability “to instruct each sport’s specific skills,” “to lead, develop and coach student-athletes at the scholastic or collegiate level,” and “to successfully recruit qualified student-athletes at the collegiate level,” and “knowledge and experience in managing fundraising activities,” which is especially important for the softball team’s annual trips. The Beacons camped in Florida in ’02 and ’03, and in California last year to play total of 19 games.

Burns declined to talk about the reason for the department’s dismissal of Randall. “That’s our decision [to fire Randall]. But it’s an issue of human resources. It’s not something to discuss in public,” Burns said.

As a women’s soccer coach, Randall has an overall record of 8-60-1 and 0-21 in Little East Conference play, while she was 18-68-1 and 2-39-1 in LEC coaching the softball team whose best season (8-19-1, 1-12-1) was in 2003.