Green steps down at Estancia

To C.K. Green it felt like strike one, strike two, strike three, and just like that, he was out as Estancia High’s baseball coach.

Green said he stepped down after learning his third attempt in as many years to join the teaching staff failed.

“Now I’m kind of used to it,” said the 2000 Estancia alumnus, who just completed his second full year as head coach. “But this year it was out of my control.”

Estancia was 9-18, 3-9 in the Orange Coast League this year, Green’s best finish.

Green, 25, said he learned Wednesday the Newport-Mesa Unified School District wouldn’t have a math opening for him at Estancia next year, which made it difficult for Green to continue coaching the Eagles.

Green is an eighth-grade algebra teacher at TeWinkle Middle School, which has a new bell schedule.

TeWinkle is going to start dismissing students at 3:45 p.m. Before, school ended at 2:30. The switch makes it impossible for Green to conduct practices and attend games, which usually start at 3:15.

The time changes are due to the federal No Child Left Behind Act sanctions, which require TeWinkle to start school at 8:45 a.m. instead of 7:45.

“I used to be able to swing it before because I had a sixth-period prep [class], allowing me to get out at 1:30 and get to Estancia by two,” said Green. “The whole day got pushed back. I’ll still have the sixth-period prep, but I won’t be able to leave until 3. By then, it’s too late.”

Green said he was disappointed about not being able to teach and coach at Estancia, but it had nothing to do with first-year principal Phil D’Agostino.

“The last two times I dealt with a different principal,” Green said. “Phil was fighting for me.”

D’Agostino called Green a “great guy.”

“He had a great year and he brought us the [Paul] Troxel Trophy,” said D’Agostino, referring to the award given to the series winner between cross-town rivals Estancia and Costa Mesa.

Claiming the trophy for the first time since 2001 was one of Green’s best memories during his time at Estancia.

Before taking over in 2006, he was the interim coach during the 2002 season, when Doug Deats stepped down three games into the season.

Green went 20-54-1, never finishing better than last in league play. Estancia, which hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 1992, will have its seventh coaching change in 11 years.

“I’ve been part of Estancia baseball since 1996, when I started as a student and we were coming off of the best season since 2000, and I’m going to miss the kids,” said Green, who would like to be an assistant somewhere, even at rival Costa Mesa.

“[Coach Jim Kiefer] will probably call,” Green said. “It would be cool. Maybe [Costa Mesa] might offer me a teaching job.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.