Boys basketball: Curry to coach CdM hoops

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Ryan Curry, who helped Nevada Union High in Grass

Valley become a consistent contender in the Sac-Joaquin Section, has been

named Corona del Mar boys basketball coach, Sea Kings Athletic Director

Jerry Jelnick announced Thursday.

Curry, head coach the last seven seasons at Nevada Union, roughly an

hour’s drive northeast ofSacramento, replaces Paul Orris, who resigned

Feb. 26.

Orris, who has overseen sixth-period workouts during the extended

hiring process, spent the final 15 seasons of his 31-year coaching tenure

at the school as varsity head man. His 229-199 career record, including

two CIF Southern Section titles and five section championship-game

appearances, made him the career victories leader among Newport-Mesa

District varsity basketball coaches.

Curry, who could not be reached Thursday, guided the Minors to to the

Sac-Joaquin section semifinals this season, after a quarterfinal

appearance in 2000.

Nevada Union, with one of the biggest student bodies in the

Sac-Joaquin Section, finished the 2001 regular season ranked No. 2 in the

section’s Division I power rankings, one spot ahead of eventual section

champion Modesto Christian. Jesuit of Carmichael, a Metro League rival

which lost to Modesto Christian in the section title game, was ranked No.

1.

Jelnick said Curry, who will teach English at CdM, plans on meeting

with CdM players sometime next week.

“He is very impressive, not only as a coach, but as a teacher,”

Jelnick said. “From people I’ve talked to, he’s a team player, who is

willing to share athletes, which is very important to a (small

enrollment) school like us.”