Proud program on hunt

Bryce Alderton

By the end of today, Corona del Mar High administrators hope to

officially open up the vacant boys water polo head coaching position

to interested candidates within the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District.

Corona del Mar Assistant Principal Lee Gaeta said Tuesday he was

waiting on approval by the district Tuesday afternoon to advertise

the position, allowing applications to flow in for a post vacated

when former coach Mike Evans was fired after one year at the helm.

Sam Bailey, who played at San Clemente High and for national

championship teams at UCLA, led CdM during its summer league schedule

and is considered the interim coach, Gaeta said.

Once the job is officially open, Bailey can apply and interview,

CdM boys athletic director Jerry Jelnick said.

Bailey made it clear Sunday what he intends to do.

“When the position opens up, I will apply. I am definitely

interested,” said Bailey, 27.

District employees have first choice to apply for the position

before it could open up to outside interest, which would take a week,

Gaeta said.

A qualified candidate could be interviewed and hired, though,

within the first week of the official posting.

CdM Principal Sharon Fry will make the final hiring decision.

Gaeta said he hopes a coach will be hired in two weeks at the

latest.

CdM can resume practices Aug. 23 in preparation for its Sept. 13

opener at Harvard-Westlake.

This week marked the first of a three-week span of the mandatory

dead period of no organized practices for high school sports teams.

CdM, which boasts a proud water polo tradition, went through a

late-summer coaching search a year ago, when Tim Salvino resigned

after only one year.

Salvino stepped in to lead a program that claimed seven CIF

Southern Section titles in 19 years under former head man John

Vargas, who took over as head coach of Stanford’s men’s team in 2001.

The Sea Kings won three straight CIF championships to send Vargas out

in style.