A key moment in the Ventura College basketball seasons occurred Thursday afternoon when the men's and women's teams split for the first time and head coach Ned Mircetic stayed in Ventura with the women.

Assistant coaches Jon Wyers and Will Cowen took the Ventura men to the Irvine Valley tournament, while Mircetic and assistant coach Robin Hester will coach the Ventura women in this weekend's Vaquero Shootout at Glendale College.

The Pirates have known the split was coming since Mircetic was asked to coach both teams in May.

"We've prepared for this," said Mircetic. "I'm not a designated ruler, I've shared in the decision making with both of them.

"I think it's working out pretty well."

Neither Wyers nor Cowen has been designated the head coach when the team is without Mircetic. Both will stand up in the coaching box this weekend.

"I told them to take turns," said Mircetic. "We can't ask the players to put the team first if we put our own egos ahead of it.

"I'll tell you, I feel pretty good about the whole thing...It's working out better than I imagined it would."