Torribio now in charge

One of the first things Larry Hirst gave Robert Torribio was his desk as the Newport Harbor High boys’ basketball coach.

Torribio said he’ll just keep the chair warm for a year.

Torribio said Monday that he has taken over the Sailors program while Hirst goes on a one-year coaching sabbatical to spend more time with his family.

Torribio, 30, has been Hirst’s right-hand man the previous three seasons on the varsity level, making him the logical choice to fill in for Hirst, 46, the Sailors coach the last 13 years.

Torribio, who has coached at his alma mater the past seven years, helped the Sailors the last three years to two second-place finishes in the competitive Sunset League and one in the Sea View League.

Hirst said Torribio, a 1995 graduate, beat out his other assistant, Gary Robinson, a 1999 grad. Both Torribio and Robinson played for the Sailors and now teach history at the school. Torribio said he’d like to have the 27-year-old Robinson, in his fifth year coaching at Newport Harbor, as an assistant next season.

“I think it was a no-loss situation [for the program] because Bob closely worked under me and Gary actually played for me and was in the same capacity as an assistant,” said Hirst, adding that he was on the selection committee along with Assistant Principal David Martinez and Athletic Director Eric Tweit. “Being that it was an in-house situation, we wanted to keep the continuity.

“I’ll be back. This is only an 11-month, 29-day temporary gig.”

Torribio said the countdown to Hirst’s return has begun.

Torribio understands what is in store for him. Taking over a program going 17-10, 7-3 in league and advancing to the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division I-A playoffs last season, the 12th straight postseason appearance under Hirst, will be a challenge.

Gone will be 6-foot-9 center Kyle Caldwell, the Sunset League Co-MVP averaging 21.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season. The senior is headed for UCLA to play volleyball.

Four players are expected to return, junior guard Michael Helfrich, sophomore forward Cecil Whiteside, junior forward Ned Lyon and junior center Alex Rios. Helfrich, a starter, is happy Torribio earned the opportunity.

“He works really well with the players and he knows how to work us,” Helfrich said. “Coach Torribio ran a lot of the drills during practice, which he didn’t do much of during my sophomore year. I think it will mainly be the same [with Torribio], maybe more upbeat, faster tempo, and [we’ll] press more”

Torribio said having Hirst return after a year spending time with his son Tanner, a sophomore-athlete-to-be at Edison High, is the best-case scenario for the Sailors. Hirst has a 223-126 career record at Newport Harbor.

“I just look at it as it’s the same ship, just a different captain,” Torribio said. “He’s given me a lot of advice. He told me, ‘If you’re losing, say it’s because you’re doing the old coach’s stuff. If you win, say it’s because you’ve changed things.’”

So far Torribio said he’s sticking with what’s around. No new name plate. He hasn’t even had the chance to change the coach’s voicemail.

Torribio said he’s been busy scheduling nonleague games, the annual out-of-town tournament, coming up with fundraising ideas, talking to Jeff Hopkins and Chad Rorden about joining his staff. Juggling all of this while he and his wife, Jamie, have a six-month-old baby boy has made things crazy with the long hours at work.

“But I’m lucky to have this job,” Torribio said. “Larry has been helping me out.”

Hirst is the guy to go to. He experienced what it’s like to be a stand-in coach for a year with Coach Jon Borchert taking a one-year sabbatical at Edison, Hirst’s alma mater.

During the 1993-94 season, Hirst guided the Chargers to the CIF Southern Section Division I-A title game, which Mater Dei won, 65-59. With Borchert returning the following year, Hirst didn’t want to be an assistant anymore and he pursued the Newport Harbor job.

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