JERRY DeBUSK

Steve Virgen

When Jerry DeBusk was 31 years old he began to fulfill a dream, a

dream that began at Newport Harbor High. The Sailors, particularly

Athletic Director Jules Gage, gave DeBusk his first high school boys

basketball head varsity coaching job. DeBusk quickly took advantage

of the opportunity.

“I was ecstatic,” DeBusk said of his reaction when he first

learned he received the job. “It was something I had dreamed about. I

was very much aware of the tradition that Newport Harbor had. I was

going to get a chance to live out my dream. Being able to coach at a

high school in that area, that was the ultimate.”

DeBusk went on to achieve success with the Sailors. He guided

Newport to league titles, but more importantly to him he formed

relationships and gained valuable experience.

“When I think of Newport Harbor I don’t think so much of the

accomplishments, and yet we did have the accomplishments,” DeBusk

said. “I think of the friends I made. Those are the really good

things I cared about. I don’t really reflect on the achievements. One

year we were 24-5, but those are the things I really don’t think

about that much. It’s more about the faculty, the players and the

parents.”

DeBusk’s interest in coaching began when he enrolled in a theories

of coaching class that was taught by Jerry Tarkanian and his

assistant coaches at Long Beach State. At that time, DeBusk also

found a job at Long Beach Poly.

“To call that coaching [at Long Beach Poly], is a little bit of a

stretch,” he said. “We practiced outside with very little equipment.

I coached the ‘C’ team, which is the equivalent of the freshman

team.”

After Poly, DeBusk became a teacher at Costa Mesa and was the

freshman basketball coach there for two years and the junior varsity

head man for another two seasons. Then, Gage hired DeBusk at Newport

Harbor.

For over the next 13 years, DeBusk worked as the Sailors’ varsity

boys basketball coach.

“One of the things that was outstanding for me was the faculty

[Newport] had in place and the coaches, like Bill Pizzica (football),

Bill Barnett (water polo) and Jules Gage,” DeBusk said. “Here was a

young guy with no varsity experience and he gets to be there. We had

good teams. We were successful. At that time we were in the Sunset

League. We got to the playoffs in my first year. But I was just happy

to be there in the mix with those coaches. It was really a mentoring

thing for me.

“When I think back to Newport,” he continued. “I have great

memories. Eric Tweit, Jeff Brinkley and Dan Glenn, I consider those

guys as friends. Those are guys I have known for a long time. We had

epic battles with Corona del Mar. All those things are just

fantastic.”

DeBusk just completed his 11th season as basketball coach at Santa

Margarita, where he has built and maintained a winning tradition.

“We have three CIF titles and a state title, but it’s still about

the players for me,” he said. “One of the things that initially

attracted me to Santa Margarita was that it reminded me of Newport

because of the good people to work with.”

DeBusk, 58, shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he says

basketball remains his passion.

“I think I’m deranged,” DeBusk said. “I still like going to

practice. I like going to the gym to see if we can play the right way

and represent ourselves properly. I still like coaching. It’s all

about I know how to do halfway decent. I’m very proud of being a

coach. It sort of defines me.”

DeBusk, who also teaches at Santa Margarita, said he has changed

as a coach and person since the days at Newport Harbor, but his focus

on hustle and a workmanlike attitude remain.

“I think some ex-players of mine are going to read this and

they’re going to think, ‘he wasn’t so warm and fuzzy back then,’ ”

DeBusk said. “I think I’m a better coach now than when I was younger.

I try to instill a good work ethic and a sense of responsibility to

the team and their task to go out and play as hard as they can. The

winning and losing can take of itself.

“I think I’m kind of a no-nonsense guy,” DeBusk continued. “I want

my players to work hard. I’m going to set the example for that. I

want them to have fun, too because I don’t want to be drill sergeant.

But, I’m not a saint; I know that. I’m going to try to get a kid to

play as hard as he can. If he wants to win and work and a have good

time in doing so, then I’m all for it. Let’s get after it.”

DeBusk, the latest honoree of the Daily Pilot Hall of Fame, lives

in Aliso Viejo with his wife Pam. They have two daughters, Teri and

Kaylee, and one son, Craig, who graduated from Newport Harbor, and

three grandchildren.