By Anthony Miller
In the modern era of high school basketball, pressure has grown on coaches to succeed. They must be proficient in player development, player management, team concept, winning and the endless list of CIF requirements.
Some coaches do this very well but don’t receive the praise they should. This could be because they coach at a fairly small school where they lack local coverage.
Regardless, today we list 10 of the most underrated coaches in San Diego basketball.
Top 10 Underrated Local Basketball Coaches
(No particular order)
David Kulowich (Otay Ranch)
Turned a struggling Ramona team into league champions. Recently took over Otay Ranch team that went 1-12 last season. This year’s team is starting off strong and looks to be one of the favorites in the South Bay.
Stephen Winters (O’Farrell)
In a matter of three years he took over a small D5 O’Farrell Charter program and turned it into D3 contender. He generated a 58-16 record. He stepped down after the 2021 season and is currently not coaching.
DJ Gay (La Jolla Country Day)
If you are SDSU fan, then I am sure you have heard the name. But did you know that he is currently the head coach at LJCD and is making a huge impact on the program? Currently they are ranked as one of the top 10 teams in San Diego.
Ryan Smith (Oceanside)
Made his mark turning a nonexistent Fallbrook program into a D4 semifinalist. Looks to do the same in his second year at Oceanside.
Chris Burman (Pacific Ridge)
Going on his eighth season, he has managed to take Pacific Ridge to the playoffs seven out of eight years and created a fun basketball atmosphere that is always a threat to go far in the postseason.
Lance Beesley (High Tech SD)
Took over the program seven years ago when it was a bottom of the heap D5 team and has turned the Storm into a D3 contender. His teams are fast, aggressive and well-coached.
Robert Spahn (Del Norte)
Going on his ninth year, he has turned a midlevel D3 team into a D1 contender. Has managed to hold a winning record every season he has been there.
Aaron Douglas (Steele Canyon)
Going on his second season, he has created an excitement on campus that hasn’t been felt since the Brad Leaf era. His team plays aggressive and fast.
Kenny Caesar (Patrick Henry)
Turned Mater Dei into Open Division powerhouse in his 10 years there. Is now in his fourth year at Patrick Henry and has had great success.
Scott Reed (Mar Vista)
Has managed to turn Mar Vista into one of South Bay’s upcoming programs. It has been reported that he has stepped down this past season.