OC Varsity Coaches of the Year

Orange Lutheran saw three of its varsity coaches win OC Varsity Coach of the Year honors. Tom Howard led the Lancers girls basketball team to a CIF-SS Division 3A title and the semifinals of the CIF State Regionals. Dan Adams, in his first year, helped the Lancers hockey team capture the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League title, as well as a California Amateur Hockey Association State title and a spot in the U.S. Hockey Nationals. And Steve Carrera led the Orange Lutheran boys water polo team to the CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinals in only the program’s third year in existence.

Here are each coach’s thoughts on what the Coach of the Year honor means for them and their respective programs, and just how special the 2014-15 season was in their eyes.

Tom Howard, Girls Basketball Coach of the Year

Tom Howard: Girls Basketball

"This season demonstrated what is possible when a group of individuals sacrifice themselves for the good of the group and play simply for the love of the game and of their teammates. It was so awesome to see a group of young student-athletes mature and become such a strong unit in such a short time. The CIF championship was the result of the bond that this team developed. The growth of each individual, and the unit as a whole, was the real success of this season. The CIF championship was just icing on the cake.

I was awarded Coach of the Year because of the success we had on the court with a young team. However, I think that success was a result of how our program tries to operate on a daily basis, and how everyone involved with our program has bought into our mission. My hope is that our program represents the values and mission of Orange Lutheran High School in a positive manner on a consistent basis. I believe people have seen that in our program throughout the years. What I would like most is if this Coach of the Year honor can shine even more light on the ministry here at OLu."

Steve Carrera, Boys Water Polo Coach of the Year

Steve Carrera: Boys Water Polo

"Personally, it was an inspiring season because we got to see a lot of hard work come to fruition. When we started the program three years ago, I had a three-year goal. It usually takes three years to really get a program going, and to be able to accomplish that was a great feeling. I appreciate being named Coach of the Year, but I honestly do feel it’s a team award and I couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of the players, families, administration and the school."

Dan Adams, Hockey Coach of the Year

Dan Adams: Hockey

"I knew from our first practice we had something special. The group really clicked. The cool thing about playing for your high school, which a lot of these guys who played only club hockey didn’t realize, is that with club, you’re around your teammates a few times a week. With high school, you’re around your teammates every day. So the bonding was really key for our group. They really enjoyed being around each other and they were all very coachable. They bought into the system.

The kids made this all happen. I tell everyone, I just guided them in the right direction and they did the rest. It was an honor to get the award, but really, any award or accolade this year should go to the kids. They worked so hard all season. Now, we have a legitimate thing here. And it’s all because of them."

From left: Athletic Director Paul Jones '02, Dan Adams, Steve Carrera, Tom Howard '94, and CEO Todd Moritz.