Simco named Estancia boys hoops coach

Rick Devereux

Jason Simco, a former Estancia High junior varsity coach who also

played for the school, has been named the Eagles boys basketball

coach, filling a near three-month vacancy since Russell King resigned

from the post in April.

Simco, who guided the junior varsity squad to a 36-9 record over

the past two years, volunteered to be in charge of the summer

basketball program while Estancia looked for a replacement for King,

who left after leading the Eagles to a 13-14 record and a CIF

Southern Section Division III-A playoff berth.

“I’m really excited,” Simco said. “This has been a dream of mine

since I was a little boy.”

A former standout guard for Estancia, Simco wants to instill a

strong work ethic into the players.

“I like to call it, ’32 minutes of hell,’ ” he said of his game

plan. “I want my guys to compete right away.”

Estancia boys athletic director Tim Parsel said the main reason

Simco was offered the job is the relationship the 21-year-old has

with the players.

“He has such a great rapport with the kids,” Parsel said. “People

I’ve talked with have told me how impressive the kids are who play

under him and how they play disciplined and unselfish basketball.”

Carlos Pinto, a three-year varsity player heading into his senior

year, has seen several changes in the program, but is excited about

having Simco at the helm.

“We’ve had a lot of changes the past three years with Coach

[Chris] Sorce leaving [in October of 2003] and then Coach King [in

April], but with him it’s a little different,” Pinto said. “He wants

to win now. I can see us winning games right now. But he’s a harder

coach. He’s not afraid to get in your face.”

Simco, who has been with the Estancia basketball program since he

graduated in 2000, is the fifth coach in six years. King took over

one day after Sorce resigned. Sorce stepped in to fill the void when

Rick Cook left the program shortly after being hired to replace Rich

Boyce after he resigned following the 1999-2000 season.

According to Parsel, the position is Simco’s to keep.

“He got the job, now it’s his job to make something out of it,”

Parsel said. “I expect him to continue the tradition of Estancia.”

Parsel said that tradition included being in contention for a

league championship and a playoff sport every year.

“It’s going to be tough following some of the coaches that we have

had here,” Simco said. “I feel that our future is bright.”