Meyer assembles staff

Less than a month into his new job as Corona del Mar High’s football coach, Scott Meyer has assembled a staff. And he is very happy about his assistants.

Dan O’Shea joins the Sea Kings as the defensive coordinator after spending six years at Trabuco Hills. O’Shea helped Trabuco Hills reach the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division finals in 2009 and in 2007 as well as advance to the semifinals in 2006 and 2008.

Kevin Hettig is the offensive coordinator and will be in charge of the wide receivers. Hettig is also a former Trabuco Hills assistant and he was the offensive coordinator at El Toro last season.

Meyer retained two assistants, Dennis Wilbanks and Roland Harrison, from last season’s team, which won the Pacific Coast League title, CdM’s first outright league crown since 1988, and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Southern Division semifinals for the second time in three seasons.

Meyer talked about pursuing other assistants under former head coach Jason Hitchens, but they had already landed jobs elsewhere.

“A couple of guys had jobs at places before I talked to them,” said Meyer, referring to Brian Pearsall and Fred Romo, who Meyer said are now assistants at Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran, respectively.

“I had some guys that I wanted to bring in as well. I’m really fortunate to have Dennis Wilbanks and Roland Harrison, who will be huge assets.”

Wilbanks is the defensive line coach and Harrison will work with the quarterbacks.

Two other key assistants are veterans, Eric Salazar (offensive line/strength and conditioning) and Dan Collins (linebackers/tight ends). Salazar had been at Mission Viejo the past six years, while Collins has had stints at Trabuco Hills, El Toro and Estancia.

The rest of the staff includes Aaron Huerta (cornerbacks), Kyle Collins (offensive line), and Kevin Purtell (running backs/speed and conditioning coach).

The public is invited to meet Meyer and his staff Tuesday at the Newport Sports Museum from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

“We have a bunch of great coaches, who have a lot of passion for the game and they care about the kids,” said Meyer, an assistant last season at Long Beach Wilson, who is in his second head coaching stint on the varsity level. “We’re going to work together.”