Boys basketball: Boyce leaves Estancia for Edison

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Rich Boyce became Edison High boys basketball coach

Monday, ending a 13-year coaching association with Estancia High.

Boyce said the financial benefits he’ll receive teaching and coaching in

the Huntington Beach Union High School District, outweighed his strong

desire to remain at Estancia, which he will leave at the end of the

school year.

Russ King, a varsity assistant and a former Estancia player who is

substitute teaching at the school, will run the program until a

replacement is hired, according to Estancia Boys Athletic Director Tim

Parsel.

Parsel and Boyce said King will be among the candidates to succeed Boyce,

whose varsity teams went 64-47, won one Pacific Coast League title and

reached the CIF Southern Section playoffs all four years. The Eagles lost

in double overtime to Bishop Montgomery in the Division III-A semifinals

in 1998.

Parsel said the school is required to advertise the opening for 10 days,

then will begin trying to complete the hiring process as quickly as

possible. The process may be delayed, however, until information on

teaching openings is in place for the 2000-01 school year.

“We’re not sure if we’ll have a full-time teaching job to offer, or not,”

said Parsel, who noted the summer basketball season is scheduled to begin

June 26. “We may not have a new coach by the time summer starts.”

Parsel said he had received inquiries from candidates outside the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District, but declined to identify them.

Boyce, who told Estancia players of his decision Monday afternoon, said

he will always cherish his 13 years at Estancia.

“It was the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make,” said Boyce, who was

contacted initially by Edison in late March, after Corey Kelly resigned.

“It was so hard to differentiate between a good situation here and a

complex one (at Edison). There are a lot of different things, but the

bottom line came down to the salary structure being better in that

district. I’m pretty confident this is the best choice for me and my

family. I wouldn’t have left if it was a matter of $500. Hopefully,

people will understand how hard a decision it was and that I didn’t jump

into this. One way or the other, I was going to disappoint someone,

whether it was Edison or (Estancia). I never solicited any job, but when

Edison called, I listened to what they had to say.”

Boyce’s tenure at Estancia also included assisting on the 1990 section

championship team and the 1991 Division III state champions, coached by

Tim O’Brien, with whom he came from Tustin High, Boyce’s alma mater,

before the 1987-88 season.

“Thirteen years is a long time and my time here has been a big part of my

life,” Boyce said. “I have a lot of great memories here and it’s hard to

say good bye.”

Boyce said he is confident his successor will inherit a solid program,

which can contend for the PCL title next season.

“The cupboard isn’t bare. Ideally, Russ can take over and maintain some

continuity. If Russ isn’t the guy, he may wind up at Edison with me.”

Boyce, who teaches math, also coached girls basketball, girls tennis and

was the varsity softball coach last spring.

“He’s been bleeding Eagle red for quite a few years,” Parsel said of

Boyce. “Edison is getting a very qualified teacher and coach.”