CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS COMPLETE.

Byline: Marc J. Spears

On Wednesday, Cal State Northridge interviewed the final member of its candidate list, Northern Iowa defensive coordinator Tom Mason.

Mason followed San Jose State defensive coordinator and ex-CSUN assistant Ron Ponciano, who interviewed Tuesday, and three-year Northridge assistant Jeff Kearin, who interviewed Monday. CSUN athletic director Paul Bubb said he hopes to hire someone by Friday, but the final decision could go through the weekend. Bubb, who doesn't anticipate interviewing any other candidates, said, ``Mason is a good, strong candidate. He has experience at being in programs that competed against us, he has strong defensive knowledge and he made a good impression here.''

The position became open when first-year coach Jim Fenwick took a position as New Mexico's offensive coordinator Jan. 5.

``I felt good about my interview,'' said Mason, who impressed CSUN officials with his fund-raising and public relations skills. ``I answered a lot of questions like how I can help this program make a name for itself nationally and what improvements can be made. I feel pretty good about my chances. I don't know how the other candidates did, but I felt I left a mark on what I can do.''