CdM vacancy becomes official

Bryce Alderton

The Corona del Mar High boys water polo head coaching vacancy

officially opened up within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District

Monday, allowing school officials to begin accepting applications,

review resumes and conduct interviews with possible candidates.

CdM Assistant Principal Lee Gaeta confirmed the opening.

Sam Bailey, the interim coach who guided CdM during its summer

session, already has a resume on file and considered himself a

candidate for the position.

Bailey, who assisted CdM girls water polo head coach Aaron Chaney

the prior two years, returned late Sunday night from Colorado

Springs, Colo., where he supervised a boys and girls water polo

development camp.

“[Gaeta and boys athletic director Jerry Jelnick] both know I want

the job, everything is there,” Bailey said.

Gaeta said he hopes to begin interviews Thursday or Friday and

have a coach selected by the middle of next week for the position

vacated when Mike Evans was fired following last season after one

year at the helm.

But much depends on how many applicants submit resumes.

“If we don’t have that many applicants, then we can interview and

close it down quickly,” Gaeta said. “I’m hoping to close [the job

opening] Friday or sooner.”

Gaeta said he, Principal Sharon Fry and Jelnick will all, most

likely, be involved in the interview process. Jelnick is on vacation

this week, so interviews could get bumped to early next week.

District employees receive first priority applying for the

position. If no one within the district applies, candidates from

outside the district could be considered.

CdM, like all other teams, is in the second of the mandatory

three-week dead period, where coaches cannot conduct practices with

players.

The Sea Kings can practice together again beginning Aug. 23 in

preparation for their Sept. 13 opener at Harvard-Westlake.

CdM’s summer session included a trip to Stanford in July to visit

with its men’s coach, John Vargas, the former CdM head man, and

compete against teams from Northern California in a tournament.

Several CdM players also completed a 1-mile open-water swim during

July’s San Clemente Ocean Festival.

Gaeta said he has received several phone calls and e-mails from

parents supporting Bailey.