AVC COACH A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS : CHELETTE JUGGLES TEAM, OFFICIATING IN BUSY SCHEDULE.

Byline: Kirby Lee Special to the Daily News

Antelope Valley College men's basketball coach Newton Chelette draws a fine line between his passions of coaching and officiating.

``Officiating is my obsession and coaching is my profession,'' Chelette said.

More often than not, however, the two overlap, especially at this time of the year for Chelette, 46, a single father of three children, all of whom play basketball.

The only thing slow about Chelette is his distinct Southern drawl. During a nine-day stretch in December, he either coached, officiated or attended 13 basketball games.

This week, Chelette picked up his frenetic pace.

On Tuesday, he held practice in the afternoon, watched his son Brady play on the sophomore team at Lancaster High at 6 p.m., and then raced to Paraclete High to officiate a game between the Spirits and Rosamond at 7:30 p.m.

After an Antelope Valley game at home Wednesday night against Mount San Jacinto was canceled because of snow, it was back to practice Thursday morning followed by an afternoon flight to Stockton to officiate a game between the University of Pacific and Idaho that night.

Chelette was to return this morning in time to catch the bus for Antelope Valley's game at San Bernardino Valley tonight. On Saturday, he will officiate a game between California State University, Los Angeles, and California State University, Dominguez Hills, in Carson.

``Nothing special, just an average week,'' Chelette quipped.

His whirlwind schedule is carefully orchestrated on his color-coded daily planner resembling more of a multicolored checkerboard than a calendar.

Red represents Antelope Valley College games and practices; green for officiating; pink for basketball games for daughter Amanda, 18, a freshman at College of the Canyons; blue for Brady, 15; and brown (that's the color of her hair) for daughter Kelly, 13, a seventh-grader at Parkview Intermediate. And that doesn't include scouting or recruiting.

``I have to be organized or there is no way I'll remember it all,'' Chelette said.

Chelette, who has been officiating basketball, football and baseball games for the past 24 years, estimates he logs more than 25,000 miles a year in his automobile.

In 1995, his mileage figures prompted an audit by the Internal Revenue Service. The matter was settled quickly after Chelette brought in his daily planner. He even found he was eligible for a refund but didn't pursue it.

``Everything I do is documented, but I feel you're lucky if you break even with the IRS,'' Chelette said.

Chelette will be able to claim air travel in 1997 in his second year of officiating at the NCAA Division I level in the Big West Conference. Among his 19-game collegiate officiating schedule are trips to Nevada for a game between University of California, Santa Barbara and Reno on Jan. 30 and Idaho for a Boise State-North Texas contest Feb. 15. Chelette got his start in officiating while a point guard at McNeese State in his native Louisiana during the 1973-74 season refereeing intramural and high school basketball games.

He continued officiating as an assistant at McNeese State, where he recruited former NBA standout Joe Dumars, head coach at Southeast Louisiana for four years and at Nevada-Las Vegas as an assistant under legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian in 1987-88.

In his first year at Antelope Valley in 1989-90, he officiated junior college games for a season before moving up to NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III the following season.

``It's extremely competitive; you have to work your way up,'' Chelette said. ``Everybody wants to officiate at Division I. I am at a disadvantage because I am limited to the number of available dates I can work.''

There are also other factors for John Dangleis, coordinator of officials for the Big West, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Golden State Athletic Conference, and California Collegiate Athletic Association, to consider when assigning Chelette.

Before elevating Chelette to the Big West, Dangleis solicited the approval of the conference coaches as a precaution over potential controversy. Dangleis also must use care not to assign Chelette to a school where a former Antelope Valley player is attending or a current player is being recruited.

``It's like a little puzzle,'' Dangleis said about Chelette, the only college coach in his pool of officials. ``I don't mind working around his schedule. If I had 20 coaches, it might be different. He has a full-time job like many other officials. His job happens to be coaching. He is available to work and does a good job.''

California State University, Bakersfield, coach Pat Douglass also said he has had no reservations about Chelette officiating at Roadrunner games for the past five years despite contesting a few calls in last week's game against The Master's.

``I don't cut him any slack, I try to get my point across to him as much as anybody,'' Douglass laughed. ``There are some things a rule book can't explain, when to call a foul and when not to call a foul. I think Newton has an excellent feel for the game. It is so hard for us to get quality officials that I appreciate that.''

No one can criticize Chelette's record as a basketball coach at Antelope Valley.

The Marauders have won four conference titles in Chelette's seven seasons after winning only one conference title in the previous two decades. This season, Antelope Valley earned the No. 1 ranking in the state junior college polls for the first time in school history.

During the fall, Chelette officiates an average of three football games at the high school, junior college and college level each week. In the spring, Chelette umpires baseball at all three levels. Last year, Chelette, who played basketball, football, baseball and competed in the 1968 high school national rodeo championships in high school, umpired a Southern Section Division I semifinal playoff game.

Chelette has also experienced the perils of each sport.

He's been bowled over by charging football players too many times to remember. In a high school baseball game, Chelette was the target for an irate coach who ordered his catcher to allow a passed ball so the pitch could strike Chelette.

``I had no choice but to eject the coach after that,'' Chelette said. ``Sure, I knew the pitch was coming but it didn't make it hurt any less.''

His most serious injury came in a basketball game at Cal Lutheran in 1994 when he tore an anterior cruciate ligament after he was leveled by a player during a drive to the basket.

After icing the knee at halftime, Chelette returned for the second half, taking only two steps from one side of the midcourt line to the other while his partner ran from baseline to baseline. The injury required surgery but Chelette, of course, only after the end of the season.

His favorite sport?

``I really can't choose one,'' Chelette said. ``It's like apples and oranges. It's like having the best seat in the house. I get as fired up in anticipation of a great game as if I were playing or coaching.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) Newton Chelette has led the Marauders men's basketball team to a No. 1 state ranking for the first time in school history.

(2) Chelette is in his second season as a basketball official at the NCAA Division I level.

Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News