Coach Demarest Changes Mind; He’ll Stay at La Quinta

WESTMINSTER — Dave Demarest, who was named Trabuco Hills High School baseball coach Monday, has changed his mind and will remain at La Quinta High, where he has coached for 18 years.

Thursday, Trabuco Hills principal Bill Brand named Randy Brouwer, a three-year assistant at Trabuco Hills, as the varsity coach. Brouwer played baseball at Estancia High and Biola College. He is also an assistant football coach at the school.

Demarest was named to replace Don Munsell as Trabuco Hills coach Monday and began teaching at the school Wednesday. Demarest still had not signed a contract with the Saddleback Valley Unified School District when he made his decision.

“He called me Wednesday night and was very honest with me,” Brand said. “He told me he wasn’t ready to make the commitment as baseball coach and math teacher at Trabuco Hills.”

Demarest said he was miserable all week and knew his heart wasn’t in the job at Trabuco Hills after his first day at the school.

“I realized I need a change in the direction of what I’m doing at this point in my career, and not a change of where I’m coaching and teaching,” he said. “I appreciate everything that Trabuco Hills did for me, but at this time, I wasn’t ready to make the commitment the school needed to coach a successful program.”