Harris notches 500th win at Ocean View High

Mike Sciacca

Jim Harris knew he would be approaching a milestone victory during

the 2003-04 boys’ basketball season, but when it began in November,

the exact date remained a complete unknown.

The mystery was solved on Jan. 7, and it happened in a gymnasium

that has become his home-away-from-home since becoming Ocean View

High’s first boys’ basketball coach 26 years ago.

Harris, who is co-head coach of the Seahawks, along with his son,

Jimmy -- himself a former all-CIF player at Ocean View -- celebrated

his 500th coaching victory at the school on a night when Ocean View

downed visiting Costa Mesa, 57-50.

That win gave him an overall record of 500-204 at the school.

Ocean View has since played two more games, defeating both Orange

and Westminster. The Seahawks, 12-5 overall and 3-0 in league as they

headed into a Wednesday game against Westminster, are looking to win

an unprecedented sixth consecutive Golden West League championship.

“You don’t do this without having great players and great people

around you,” Harris said. “And along with that, you don’t want to

continue to do this coaching thing without having great players and

people around you all the time. I’ve been fortunate, in both regards.

I had some very dedicated and hard-working young men come through

this program.

“But for me, as a coach, the real success is that my teams played

hard, played well and played for each other for the better of the

team.”

Harris said he experienced bittersweet and heart-wrenching

emotions as he neared the 500-victory milestone. Before the winter

break in December, he learned of the recent deaths of two former

players, Desi Hazely and Tim Naaktgeboren.

Hazely, a forward who graduated from Ocean View in 1987, died of a

massive heart attack, Harris said.

Naaktgeboren, part of the school’s first graduating class in 1980

and a four-year player for Harris, died of throat cancer.

“It saddened me so much that I wasn’t able to display the passion

a coach needs in order to lead his team,” Harris said. “We have been

playing lethargic and not displaying the passion needed on the court

these past few games. A team mirrors its coach.

“Tim will always be part of a special group because I had those

guys for four years and they were my first group at Ocean View. Desi

is really close to my heart because he went through a lot when he was

younger. Coaching is all about relationships, anyway, and not the

wins and losses.”

Harris learned of their deaths while both the Ocean View boys’ and

girls’ basketball teams were in San Diego for holiday tournament

play.

Harris also is the head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball

team, which was 11-1 overall and 2-0 in league play through Jan. 9.

“It took awhile for him to talk about it all,” Jimmy Harris said.

“During his pregame talk with the team before the Costa Mesa game, he

kind of apologized to the team for being subdued. He wanted them to

know he would give them 100% from that game forward.

“He also said he’d gladly give back 10 times more than 500

victories, just to have Desi and Tim back, to be able to talk with

them. This program is his family. I have four sisters but no

biological brothers, but through Ocean View basketball, I’ve had

hundreds of brothers. My dad embodies this basketball family.”

Matt Sargeant became a member of the Ocean View basketball family

when he transferred from Pasadena Poly.

The three-year varsity starter, who is having a banner senior year

on the court, said he sensed the program’s family pride right away.

“Coach does such a great job teaching the game to all of his

players, and it’s in direct correlation to life,” the 17-year-old

said. “He’s a great teacher and role model.

“He has such passion for the game and toward all those in his

program that you get a sense that basketball is more than just a game

for him. It is a family and it’s what he’s all about. It’s just an

honor to be a part of it all.”