UPDATE 4:35pm | Cal State Long Beach’s Associated Students Inc. is searching for a new cheer coach following a recent scandal that cost the university a national cheerleading title and the former coach his job.

ASI cancelled its contract with Coach Eric Anderson after ASI and university officials last week learned that Anderson had knowingly violated National Cheerleaders Association rules at a competition earlier this month.

Christina Esparza, an ASI spokeswoman, told the Daily 49er that Anderson was terminated for allowing a male non-student who had graduated in December to compete with the team at the recent NCA Collegiate Championships in Daytona, Fla., where the team had walked away with the NCA Small Coed Division 1 championship title.

Esparza reportedly said that Sylvana Cicero, assistant director of programs for the University Student Union, and the cheer team’s supervisor saw a video of the competition and recognized the male graduate’s face.

In addition to Anderson’s firing, the team has forfeited its new title.

“After a conversation with the NCA, it was determined that since non-CSULB students performed in the competition, it would be unethical and against CSULB Campus Regulations, ASI standards and NCA rules to retain the title,” the ASI said in a statement.

Esparza told the 49er that the forfeiture was voluntary.

“It was the best thing to do. We couldn’t have, in good conscience, kept it,” she reportedly said.

An undergraduate student must be enrolled in a minimum of nine hours of course work per semester to be eligible for competition, though graduate students and graduating senior undergads can be enrolled in fewer classes, according to the NCA’s college rules. 

A former cheer team member told the daily campus newspaper that he would “put money on” the idea that Anderson was aware that the male team member had graduated and  was no longer enrolled in classes.

Scott Ebersteinm reportedly said Anderson was often late to practice and games and, on occasion, wouldn’t even show up. Additionally, he told the 49er that his former coach would sometims get so mad at the team that Anderson would walk out on them.

Prior to coaching the Long Beach team beginning in 2001, Anderson served as cheer coach at Santa Ana’s Century High School. In 2000 he was named California Coach of the Year, the Press-Telegram reported.
 
An NCA official reportedly told the PT that the association was initiating an investigation into the matter when the university contacted the association regarding the violation.

Anderson has not responded to repeated requests for comment from the press.

 

1:01pm | A Cal State Long Beach cheerleading coach has been fired and the cheer squad forced to forfeit its recently earned national title over the discovery that a non-student was allowed to compete with the team.

Coach Eric Anderson was fired for allowing a male student who graduated in December to compete with the team at the Collegiate Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla., earlier this month, where the team secured the National Cheerleaders Association Small Coed Division I championship title, a CSULB spokesman told the Press-Telegram.

Anderson, who has more than 30 national championships under his belt, has served as the 49er cheer team’s coach since 2001. 

He previously worked with cheer squads at the University of Michigan and University of Nevada, Reno, according to the Associated Press. He is also a former national coach of the year nominee for the National High School Cheerleading Federation.