In his fourth year as the Santa Monica High girls basketball coach Marty Verdugo is being rewarded as few coaches are during their career.
It wasn’t surprising when Verdugo was named Ocean League Coach of the year as his team won all 10 of its league games. However, Verdugo was also named CIF Division 1-A Coach of the Year, a show of the respect he commanded.
Verdugo believes individual honors follow a team’s success and he praised his players, saying “this is what happens when you make a commitment to a team.”
He set a goal of winning the first CIF championship in girls basketball ever at Samohi and the players responded.
Verdugo came to Samohi as an assistant to James Hecht with the boys team and then was an assistant for one year with the girls team before becoming head coach.
He currently is making plans for an event in Samohi’s North Gym at the end of April when the championship banner will be hung. The event will be a version of the annual season-ending banquet.
Verdugo expects to have a strong team again next season with quality returning players, despite some important graduation losses.
MITCH CHORTKOFF
Mirror Sports Editorsports@smmirror.com
