Glenn’s past helps now

What makes Dan Glenn smile?

What makes this man so happy when there is seemingly so much distress around? He sees reasons for sadness in his classroom at Newport Harbor High, those students who battle depression. As an economics teacher, he sees pain among the scores of stories about the disappointing financial status across the nation.

Those aren’t reasons to be positive.

What about the stress that tomorrow brings? Glenn could think, what’s going to happen at the next eye exam?

Earlier this year, the Newport Harbor High volleyball coach, in his 24th year guiding the girls’ team, was diagnosed with iris melanoma, a rare form of cancer in his right eye.

It seems he has every reason to be sad, or angry at the very least. Instead, he remains upbeat, a positive force at Newport Harbor.

The love for his life, family and work doesn’t necessarily come from an old book or a temple. He earned a master’s degree at Azusa Pacific University, a Christian-based college, but Glenn doesn’t believe in that.

Now he has a different religion, one definitely based on discipline. He must maintain his healthy lifestyle. Sounds easy enough for Glenn, a 50-year-old who looks at least 10 years younger.

Also, every three months he must visit his eye doctor at UCLA for tests. That could be problematic for someone who carries such an enormous schedule. But with the support of family and friends, he’s finding time to make it happen.

However, the biggest challenge for Glenn just might be his ability to stay positive, be himself. He makes it look simple. For Glenn, it comes naturally.

He sees all the good in his life. With a beautiful wife and four cute children, yes, he’s happy. He lives in Newport Beach, just a few minutes from the sand and the waves, where he loves to surf.

Building a great volleyball program, that’s fun too.

Happiness is a way of life for Glenn.

Was it always like this? Has he always been so optimistic?

“He was a typical kid, better than his father,” said Glenn’s father, Tom. “He was a little bit on the quiet side. He had a good football career at Huntington Beach [High]. He kept active, had lots of friends, he was your typical boy.”

But the group Glenn hung out with was nothing close to typical. Back then, they didn’t really set out to be coaches, but each one became a volleyball head coach.

If volleyball coaches had a Rat Pack, this group could pass for it.

With Glenn, there was Tom Pestolesi, Albert Gasparian and Mike D’Alessandro, playing volleyball for the Oilers. Sometimes an HB alumnus, Rocky Ciarelli, would stop by and mix it up with them during practice.

Pestolesi, known as, “Pesto,” coached at Estancia and helped build championship teams at Harbor with Glenn before moving on to Irvine Valley College.

Gasparian made state titles the norm at Golden West College, where he is now the athletic director. In his place as the Rustlers’ volleyball coach is now D’Alessandro.

Ciarelli helped make the Oilers known for volleyball for his work there. He’s now a volunteer assistant at USC, where his son, Tony, plays.

Back in their high school days, volleyball seemed to be the center of their lives. Glenn also played football and basketball, but there was just something about volleyball that embodied Huntington Beach.

At times, they would just mess around at D’Alessandro’s house and play two-on-two with a net tied to trees. During breaks they would munch on brownies. The days were carefree. Good times.

How cool, they thought, that D’Alessandro’s dad, Frank, coached football. That sounds like fun too.

They all accepted him. They all enjoyed him, especially the way he called everyone, “Bigs.” That’s a habit that carried over to the group. They each called the other, “Bigs.” Glenn refers to each of his children with the affectionate nickname and even used it with his players.

Glenn has many reasons to smile when he looks back on his past. And he remains happy because those coaches are his friends today. They all still know Glenn as, “Danny,” or “Bigs.”

“He is about as easy-going a person as there is on the planet,” Pestolesi says. “I know his players won’t say that, but he is so laid back.”

On the court, Glenn played with a strong fire. It was almost as if he had to. He wasn’t the gifted and talented player that could achieve dominance with ease, Pestolesi said, so he had to work extra hard.

After Huntington Beach, Glenn played volleyball at Orange Coast College. From there he went to try out for UC Santa Barbara, which at the time was ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Glenn didn’t make the team. He says he holds no ill feelings about the Gauchos and never regrets his time at UCSB. But it had to burn that his buddies all played NCAA Division I volleyball. His friends didn’t approve.

“The thing that bothered our group was Danny was the last guy cut when he went to UCSB,” Pestolesi said. “He was only one spot away from making the team. We always didn’t like [UCSB Coach] Kenny Preston for that.”

Pestolesi believes being cut only intensified Glenn and made him pay even greater attention to detail. It would make him a better coach.

Glenn can relate, but UCSB will always be special to him.

“I just felt I had to work hard everywhere I was,” Glenn said. “It was never really easy for me ... But I always have a good feeling about UCSB. I picked the school where I wanted to go.”

Glenn knew at a young age that he would want to be a teacher. In 1981, after UCSB, he went to UC Irvine to earn his teaching credential.

Before he knew it he landed his first coaching gig at University High. The Trojans didn’t win much under him, but Glenn looks back on those days with fondness because it only made him want to work harder. And, he did, which carried over to Edison, where he coached for four years, at times competing against Ciarelli.

Then came Newport Harbor, where he won a CIF section title with the boys in his first year in 1987. Not long after, he won a CIF section title with the girls team the next season.

“By winning those championships early, it made me feel like I could coach the way I wanted to coach,” Glenn said. “I didn’t have to sacrifice any of my values. It helped people understand where I was coming from.”

Glenn remains well respected for his coaching style. That helps in other aspects of his life, too, as he confronts cancer.