Basketball coaches at Ventura and Oxnard colleges were placed on paid administrative leave Monday morning and told to have no contact with their players, school officials said.

The action came six months after the Ventura County Community College District opened an investigation of the Ventura College men's basketball program and three months after that inquiry was extended to Oxnard College. The investigation is looking into issues of players' eligibility at the schools.

Former Ventura College men's basketball coach Greg Winslow, Ventura College assistant coach Jon Wyers and Oxnard College men's basketball coach Jeff Theiler were placed on "non-disciplinary, paid administrative leave," told to stay off campus and to have no contact with their student-athletes for the indefinite duration of the investigation.

Locksmiths changed the locks on the doors to the basketball offices at both schools.

"At this point, it seems appropriate as the investigation has gone forward," said district Chancellor James Meznek. "We believe it is appropriate to protect both our employees, students and district by these measures."

Ventura College President Robin Calote; Patricia Parham, the district's associate chancellor for human resources; and Walter Johnson, the third-party investigator hired by the district, found Wyers in the Ventura basketball office early Monday morning and informed him of the change in his status.

"I saw them coming down the stairs and said, That can't be good,' " said Terry Morris, the chair of Ventura's physical education department.

According to the coaches, Winslow and Theiler spoke to Parham by telephone around 9:30 a.m. Both were asked to come on campus as soon as possible to meet with Johnson and school officials.

"They said they'd be sending a certified letter," Winslow said. "I'm supposed to call them back so I can get into my office."

Winslow missed his 1 p.m. meeting with Calote and Johnson. An hour later, he was seen putting the contents of his office into two large cardboard boxes.

Ventura is scheduled to hold its annual end-of-season banquet Wednesday night at Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura.

Because of Monday's events, neither of its coaches will be allowed to attend.

"This is how this whole thing has been from the beginning," Winslow said. "What does this accomplish?

"They don't care about any of the players."

When Parham told Theiler that he was being placed on leave "pending this investigation," Theiler responded that he had never been informed he was under investigation.

"Don't you read the newspaper?" Parham answered, according to Theiler.

The Star reported Jan. 21 that Johnson had begun looking into the Oxnard program. That came after the district had pronounced four Ventura players and two Oxnard players ineligible for the remainder of the season because of "fraudulent applications" filed on their behalf.

Theiler said he has asked for a clarification of his status in a series of e-mails to district and school officials over the past few months.

Part of his answer came Monday.

"(Monday) is the first time that I've been notified that, apparently, I'm being investigated for something," Theiler said. "I ask why, and they won't tell me anything."

Theiler met with Johnson and Lyn MacConnaire, Oxnard's acting executive vice president, in the late afternoon.

Winslow resigned his co-athletic director position Feb. 8 and his head coaching position Feb. 15, but he plans to remain at the school as a full-time teacher.

Monday's actions affected not only Ventura's former coach but also, in Wyers and Theiler, two candidates who have already interviewed to be Winslow's successor. "Am I being banned from the process right now?" asked Theiler.

The actions also affect the recruiting process for the sophomores of both programs.

Ventura freshman guard Eric Gray heard the news when he arrived to work out Monday morning. "It (stinks) for four-year coaches," Gray said. "Who are they going to call now?

"There are people hoping to transfer out. It's going to be harder for everybody now."

Ventura College Dean Steve Tobias, who manages the athletic department, said that school officials were working to provide a stopgap measure.

"The department chairs are working on it," Tobias said. "I'm completing my assessment of what needs to be done in order to continue the support of our student-athletes."

More than six months into the saga, others within the department are desperate for its conclusion.

"You just don't understand why this is necessary," said Peder Nielsen, Ventura's longtime equipment manager. "It's tearing this whole department apart."