PAT CALLAGHAN

Steve Virgen

For five years after graduating from UCLA, Pat Callaghan felt out of

place.

He has always loved soccer. Yet, after college, he was involved in

an entirely different arena.

Callaghan, who starred in soccer at Corona del Mar High in the

late 1980s, was a salesman right out of college. And, he was not

happy.

“It just wasn’t rewarding,” Callaghan said. “I didn’t like what I

was doing. I didn’t feel like I was giving back.”

Callaghan wanted to give back to his roots. He grew up in Newport

Beach and played for the local AYSO team coached by his father,

Richard.

Callaghan also played soccer at Corona del Mar and enjoyed his

best season as a senior when he was named MVP of the Sea View League.

He then went on to Orange Coast College, where he helped lead the

Pirates to the state championship in the fall of 1989.

When he wanted to come back and get involved with soccer once

again, Callaghan went to OCC. He spoke with head coach Laird Hayes

and asked him how he was able to gain the position he held.

Hayes, who remains the OCC coach and is a Daily Pilot Sports Hall

of Famer, asked Callaghan to join his staff as a volunteer in 1999.

“I loved it,” Callaghan said. “It was fun. I just felt like it was

right, being out there coaching. I regained that passion and that

desire to be on the field. I felt my career was cut short as a player

[because of a quadriceps tear in 1990]. I still had a hunger to be

out there in the game.”

In 2000, things started to fall into place for Callaghan. As a

glorified assistant coach, he helped guide OCC to an improbable

appearance in the four-team state playoffs.

Hayes basically managed the team, while Callaghan, and fellow

assistant Kevin Smith, did the hands-on coaching.

Also, in 2000, Callaghan was hired as the boys soccer coach at

CdM. Being back with the Sea Kings definitely pleased Callaghan and

fueled his coaching passion even more.

Callaghan made a name for himself at Corona del Mar in the late

‘80s, and it wasn’t just in soccer.

He also competed in track and field and was a key contributor for

Coach Dave Holland’s football team in the fall of 1988. Callaghan

played as an outside linebacker and also was the kicker for the Sea

Kings, who went 12-0-2 and won the CIF Southern Section Division VI

title.

“I enjoyed being on the football team,” Callaghan said. “I injured

my knee my junior season and didn’t play that much soccer. So when I

was a senior, I decided I wanted to play everything.”

When the soccer season came, Callaghan made sure to make his

senior year matter. He scored 15 goals and led the Sea Kings to the

CIF playoffs.

He was left disappointed because in the final game of the regular

season, Callaghan drew a red card for trying to break up a tussle. He

separated the two players and one of them, a Tustin player, flopped,

which led to a red card for Callaghan.

Callaghan had to sit out the first-round CIF playoff loss to

eventual division champion La Canada.

It was deja vu this season for Callaghan, who saw one of his

players sit out the first-round playoff game. This time, however, the

Sea Kings emerged with the victory.

Leading CdM to the 2004 CIF Division II semifinals was definitely

rewarding.

“I love coaching,” Callaghan said. “I love being the head coach at

Corona del Mar. I talked to a number of people who took the job

before and they said it’s tough to be successful there. But I haven’t

had any regrets. I feel like I can relate to the students. It’s a

great experience. I would love to do it for the rest of my life.”

The 33-year-old Newport Beach resident, who is the latest Daily

Pilot Sports Hall of Fame honoree, also coaches as an assistant at

Irvine Valley. He works there with head coach Martin McGrogan, for

whom Callaghan played at Corona del Mar.

Callaghan has also been interested in becoming a community college

head coach, though he would not mind staying at Corona del Mar. After

all, that’s where he feels he is giving back.