Is St Joe's still looking for a coach? They were on to something good and like the geniuses they are they blew it up. Coach Hip built something that appeared to be promising? Coach Gray-Lawson appeared to be a good one for St Joe's but they couldn't keep. If they really wanted to they could have focused girls hoops and academics. So go ahead and focus on grades only and lose 💯
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I believe Coach Doug retired from coaching a year ago, and Coach Chris Joo, who had been on and off as an Asst Coach with the MSJHS program over the years had taken over as the Head Coach last season. Coach Chris is a really good coach so must confess I am a bit surprised to see that he left, but that said, he will do well wherever his next gig is. Coach Doug and Coach Tan (the JV coach, who apparently retired too) should get a lot of credit for building up the MSJ program over the past decade, their teams always punched above their weight; hopefully it continues with whoever the new coaching staff is...
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MSJ is going in a different direction. They just lost a great combo of coaches. Chris Joo and Tan Tran have done over and beyond. Blame the AD.
The direction MSJ was in always involved being highly competitive and winning. The only direction from that is non competitive and losing. With American high school Moreau being competitive it made it tougher to win the league and throw in Logan and that conference is formidable. Maybe arrogance made the school believe they are simply better than those other schools or Maybe some of the "well to do" parents want their kids to get more play time and if that's the case MSJ girls hoops is gonna go down the drain. But who knows.
I've always been impressed with MSJ under Doug's leadership. IMHO he's one of the better coaches I've seen. His teams, usually smaller and undersized, always beat larger teams with IQ, quickness, and just all-out grit. If they're thinking they should be competing for a D1 section title, they're smoking crack. They're a good D1 public school program. I'm not sure what they're really looking for lol
I just happen to come across Tan. I agree with your assessment. Not only the school think that they are better than other schools outside of athletics, but you would think after all these years that you have people in your program representing your school don't even get love or consideration to take over the program. I won't share in full detail. But it makes sense why Tan would walk away. Some schools only use you as far as they can throw you. But the MSJ girls are in summer league and they will be decent.
the boys coach has been there for quite a long time... and has he won at a high rate? wonder why the girls coach is supposed to win titles without the athletes to do it.
PAL South - Capuchino is open for Varsity Girls.
Paul Carion is back at the helm at San Mateo HS for the Varsity Girls.
Paul Carion is back at the helm at San Mateo HS for the Varsity Girls.
I thought Hoff had another daughter coming through the program? I'll bet if a certain kid playing for Team USA went to her home school he would still be there haha
Looks like Palo Alto High School also looking for new head coach.
www.edjoin.org
Athletic Coach: Varsity Girls' Basketball Coach- Paly at Palo Alto Unified School District | EDJOIN
All hired applicant will be required to obtain TB, First Aid/CPR, NFHS Coaching certification along with PAUSD new hire documents.
www.edjoin.org
I guess its out, Scott will be stepping down. He has done a hell of a job there. A great friend/coach/mentor who needs time off and to enjoy his daughter playing in College.Looks like Palo Alto High School also looking for new head coach.
Athletic Coach: Varsity Girls' Basketball Coach- Paly at Palo Alto Unified School District | EDJOIN
All hired applicant will be required to obtain TB, First Aid/CPR, NFHS Coaching certification along with PAUSD new hire documents.
believe it or not, it's not that unreal. it happens almost every year...it's just not that publicized and the numbers are always similar...
There might be a few more this year, but 29 isn't shocking. It's a tough job, not much pay, and to do it right, takes lots of time and energy.
We have not seen 30 schools have job openings in one year guys. It is clear that the quality of getting good coaches to stay with forever changing administrators, ADs, teachers wanting the job after you've did the dirty work, and the power of the parent complaint has really taken a toll. and we are barely recycling the decent coaches we do have! Not to mention the Primadonna type players who feel entitlement instead of the ole skool hard work and grind. if these girls are not already naturally talented good luck! The private schools have all the resources and a strong community consistently, Meanwhile the inner city public schools have to fend for themselves and you have to hope you have a good parent support year in and year out! and lets not even talk about budget. HA! not taking anything away from the urban areas that provide great support and a community...but as they say its levels to this.
Steve Picchi, a two-time State Coach of the Year, has been hired at Tracy. A 45-year veteran coach at the high school, community college and four-year levels, his prep teams at Burlingame and Sequoia won three Central Coast Section titles and a state crown (at Burlingame). His preferred style is strictly half-court, zone-oriented. His approach is a throw-back to a prior era. It is utilized so infrequently now it's actually seen by some as new and innovative. Opposing coaches and players have described it as "frustrating" and "grinding." His teams force a more deliberate tempo and careful use of the shot clock. Turnovers and poor shot selection are kept to a minimum. The emphasis is on structure at both ends of the floor. Love it or hate it, it works. If he has even a modicum of talent at Tracy, they will be a problem, win or lose.
As an old guy in a young person's game, I really don't think 2023 is that much different than 1993. The parental pressure, administrative ignorance and arrogant players who think they are much better than they actually are is pretty much the same. It's the same thing as the whole "kids today" theme, which assumes that human beings have suddenly changed their essential nature after 300,000 years on the planet.
As Talking Heads sang about 30 years ago, "It's the same as it ever was" ... which of course doesn't make it any better or any easier. It's a very tough job, but what really happens is that even though the parents, players and administrators remain pretty much the same, as the coach gets older, he sees things differently. In short, I think the perspective of "things are different today" is more about the coach not being 25 any more.
As Talking Heads sang about 30 years ago, "It's the same as it ever was" ... which of course doesn't make it any better or any easier. It's a very tough job, but what really happens is that even though the parents, players and administrators remain pretty much the same, as the coach gets older, he sees things differently. In short, I think the perspective of "things are different today" is more about the coach not being 25 any more.
It's all about the style of play. Full-court pressure, run and gun, up and down, foul, flail and fail, uh, no. Not going to happen at Tracy. They may lose, but they'll go down with a conservative system that maximizes their talent level. It won't make the ESPN highlight reel but it will enhance the kids' chances to grab some W's. Picchi has been using the same system for the last 40 years. So for him it's not new at all. For others, it's an aberration.
One more Picchi note: He got turned on to his style of play by the late Tom Martinez, the legendary multi-sport coach at College of San Mateo. It was Martinez who tutored Picchi back in the 1980s. At CSM, Martinez's football, women's basketball and softball teams won more than 1,400 games prior to his passing ten years ago.
Who wants to play for a losing program? I hear what you're saying, but coaches who do not consistenly adjust systems to player personel are just dying dinosaurs.
Clay, I do think there are paramount differences in kids today and from yesteryear. You've had the chance to work under two amazing coaches, two of the better coaches in Norcal History. Scott Brown and Casey Rush. As firey and demanding as they are, do you think they would last one season coaching the way they coached back in those days? Would parents or players be ok with being coached like that? There's a reason those kind of coaches are far and few between. Shoot, even the successful Tom Gonslaves no longer is in coaching after proclaiming he had the perfect job lined up.
I would imagine (not seeing him coach in HS practices) Kelly is not a hootin and a hollerin type of coach. He seems pretty calm and collected and a perfect fit for motivated players.
The points you make are good ones, but they are more about coaching than players. I think that both Scott and Casey would have realized the landscape of 2023 and either modified their behavior or not coached at all.
The difference, though, is not in the kids but rather the culture around them. Some players respond to negativity; others don't. As a coach I was talking to recently said, "You can break a boy down and build him back up in 24 hours; you can't do that with girls." That was true in 1993 and it's true now. What's different, though, is the parental and administrative response, and a welcome awareness that manipulating adolescents with rage and humiliation may result in more wins, but overall does more harm than good. (How important, really, is it to win 17 games in a season as opposed to 13?)
Sure, there are marginal differences in young human beings due the culture around them, but people are still people, and a 16-year-old today is much more like a 16-year-old 10,000 years ago -- and adults today are much more like adults 10,000 years ago -- than we really want to admit.
The difference, though, is not in the kids but rather the culture around them. Some players respond to negativity; others don't. As a coach I was talking to recently said, "You can break a boy down and build him back up in 24 hours; you can't do that with girls." That was true in 1993 and it's true now. What's different, though, is the parental and administrative response, and a welcome awareness that manipulating adolescents with rage and humiliation may result in more wins, but overall does more harm than good. (How important, really, is it to win 17 games in a season as opposed to 13?)
Sure, there are marginal differences in young human beings due the culture around them, but people are still people, and a 16-year-old today is much more like a 16-year-old 10,000 years ago -- and adults today are much more like adults 10,000 years ago -- than we really want to admit.
I believe it has -- by a JV boys' coach from Antioch, I think. Any word on Moreau?
they hired a former Asst. from Salesian...can't remember his name ut people on the board thought it was a good hire.
For Las Lomas the Coach hired was coach Ventura Armenta. He was a former varsity coach at antioch and freedom from earlier stints. Then he was a girls asst and switch to the boys side and has been there the last 4 or 5 years or so at antioch. From what I hear he is a good guy. So we will see what unfolds.
