Bailey leaves to join Vargas

Sam Bailey, who was named CIF Southern Section Division I Coach of

the Year after leading the Corona del Mar High boys water polo team

to the CIF Division I semifinals, has left the school to become an

assistant men’s coach at Stanford.

Bailey, 27, said he thoroughly enjoyed his season with the Sea

Kings, during which they went 20-9. But he looks forward to the

opportunity to work with the Cardinal, and head man John Vargas.

Vargas coached the CdM boys program for 19 seasons before taking the

Stanford job prior to the 2002 season.

“This is a nice bump up, but I sort of imagine CdM as the Stanford

of high school water polo,” Bailey said. “The [Sea Kings] have been

working their tails of for me and for themselves and I believe there

is a very promising future with that program. There is just an

incredible talent pool and everthing about the program is top-notch.

My time there was beyond anything I could have expected.”

Bailey said he has aspired to coach on the collegiate level. He

replaces Brian Kreutzkamp at Stanford. Bailey said Kreutzkamp, a

former coach at Newport Harbor and Costa Mesa High, left the Cardinal

to take a head-coaching job at a high school.

“To have an opportunity to coach at such a high level and with

such a well-established and incredible water polo figure as Coach

Vargas is very flattering,” Bailey said. “I’m humbled by it.”

CdM Boys Athletic Director Jerry Jelnick said the school would

immediately begin the process of replacing Bailey. Interested

applicants may contact Jelnick at school at (949) 515-6058.

-- Barry Faulkner