CSUN COACH QUIETLY SETTLES.

Byline: Rizza Yap Daily News Staff Writer

Cal State Northridge men's volleyball coach John Price has said yes, and that's about all he can say.

Price said he called human resources director Stephen Montgomery on Friday to accept a settlement regarding his future at CSUN, but the agreement requires him to keep quiet about the details.

``We negotiated a happy settlement that I can't talk about,'' said Price, whose coaching contract expired June 30 - about two weeks after administrators cut his team along with baseball, men's soccer and men's swimming to settle budget and gender-equity problems. Soccer and swimming have since been reinstated for one year through private fundraising.

On July 11, Price's assistant coach Jeff Campbell also agreed to a settlement with a similar confidentiality clause. Campbell's coaching contract ends on July 31.

Both coaches in early July were offered the chance to each teach nine classes at Northridge for one semester. Although neither coach declined the offer, Campbell said: ``We went in there saying it was kind of a bunk deal. I thought it was unfair.'' They received the revised settlement a week later.

Despite accepting Northridge's offer, Price interviewed for a women's volleyball coaching job at Cal State Bakersfield and expects an answer next week. Campbell said he also is on the lookout for coaching positions but hopes that money from the state will enable Northridge to reinstate his program for another year.

Earlier this month, state Sen. Cathie Wright proposed that $586,000 from state funds be used to bring back the canceled sports at Northridge. Part of her proposal requires the university to compile a task force in charge of developing a long-term plan to solve the athletic program's budgetary and gender-equity issues.

According to minutes of a meeting with Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson on Monday, the university's community advisory board decided to limit the task force to 15 members - three faculty members, three students, three alumni, four community members and two administrators.

If men's volleyball is reinstated, Campbell and Price will renegotiate with administrators about their positions at CSUN.

Meanwhile, several volleyball players already have made choices about their fate at Northridge. Incoming freshman John Baxter from Royal High plans to stay despite interest from Rutgers University. Top recruit Andy Rivera will walk on at UC Santa Barbara, Stephen Wiessner is going to Pierce College, Dan Fisher will transfer to University of the Pacific and Sean Callahan will join Long Beach State as a walk-on.