week in review

socalogo.gif (8739 bytes)
SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Week In Review: Several Coaching Moves
Around SoCal Last Week--(Sept. 16, 2002)

There were several coaching moves and changes reported last week. Here's a recap:

Glen Marx Out At Manhattan Beach Mira Costa HS-- As we noted during the week, Glenn Marx, the longtime head coach at Mira Costa HS in Manhattan Beach, has resigned, to devote more time to coaching pro players and scouting for pro teams, including European teams.

Al Bennett Out At LA Birmingham HS -- The Los Angeles Times' Eric Sondheimer noted in the September 13, 2002 edition of the Times that Al Bennett, boys' basketball coach at Birmingham High (located in Van Nuys, but which now calls itself "Lake Balboa"), for the past 13 years, has resigned and will be replaced on an interim basis by freshman-sophomore coach Joel Thornburgh. Bennett coached the Patriots to the lower division (3-A) City final appearances in 1995 and 1998. According to Sondheimer "he has been under scrutiny because 11 Birmingham players have transferred in the last two years."

Bobby Brimmer Out At Los Angeles Ribet Academy-- On September 12, 2002, the Los Angeles Times, in a story by sportswriter Ben Bolch, reported that Bobby Brimmer, who guided the L.A. Ribet Academy boys' basketball team to the Southern Section Division V-AA finals in his first year as coach, was fired "because of his players' academic shortcomings," according to Ribet Chief Executive Ronald Sires. "Academics are first, athletics are second," Sires told the Times. "Mr. Brimmer never understood that." According to Bolch, Brimmer coached the Fighting Frogs during the summer and had signed a contract for the upcoming season. Brimmer told Bolch that he was "shocked by his dismissal and would try to force the school to pay his coaching salary." The school apparently disagrees. "Sires said the school does not have to pay Brimmer because he violated the contract 'by not adhering to our principles.' "

Dan Alon In At Los Angeles Ribet Academy-- In the same story that reported Brimmer's termination at Ribet, Ben Bolch also reported that Dan Alon, currently the Ribet girls' basketball coach last season and the boys coach three years ago (as well as the Stoneridge Prep coach two seasons ago, just before Jack Pollon took over there), has been elevated to return to the boy's varsity head coaching job at Ribet.

Matt Magallanez In at Riverside Norte Vista HS --According to sportswriter Eric-Paul Johnson writing for the Riverside Press-Telegram's "Prep Notebook (published 9/13/02), Matt Magallanez, a 1994 Norte Vista graduate, has been named the school's new boys' basketball coach. Kareem Cain, a 1993 Norte Vista graduate, will be Magallanez's varsity assistant. Magallanez, 26, was an assistant to Rob Morrow, who resigned as Norte Vista's coach last year. Magallanez, who teaches at Loma Vista Intermediate, previously assisted Morrow at Riverside Norte Dame. Cain reportedly played Allen Hancock JC and at Division I Duquesne, and he also served four years in the Marine Corps.

Jennifer Childress Named Women's Assistant at Cal State San Bernardino --And while we don't often report signings or coaching changes for women's teams, it was a slow week....sorta (just kidding), but we thought we'd pass this one along anyway: According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise (9/10/02), Cal State San Bernardino named Jennifer Childress an assistant coach for the women's basketball team this past week. Childress, a former assistant coach at Western Washington and a successful high school coach, will coach alongside No. 1 assistant Dave Johnson and Coach Kevin Becker. While at Western Washington, Childress helped lead the team to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title in 2001-02. She helped Western Washington advanced to the NCAA West Regional finals, where it lost to Cal Poly Pomona, the eventual national champions