- East Bay Prep Corner
DeLuca in as De Anza basketball coach
By Ben Enos
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 at 8:28 pm in Basketball.
Over the past couple of seasons, we haven’t heard much from the De Anza High boys basketball team. I have a hunch that’s going to change in the near future. The Dons took a big step forward this week, hiring former Pinole Valley coach Mark DeLuca to take over the program.
Here’s a little background. DeLuca stepped down at Pinole Valley in 2007 so he could spend more time focusing on his new job as dean of students at Salesian. Also, his son Mark was attending Salesian and playing sports, so that was a perfect time to step away.
This past season, DeLuca made his way back to the bench as co-head coach at Pinole Valley with his good friend, Anthony Geddins.
What’s interesting to me about this hire is that it seems to me to be perfect timing. DeLuca is a very accomplished coach, having led some really solid teams in his time at Pinole. De Anza has a new principal, and a new gym set to open in August. And, if you think back just a few years, the Dons have had success before. It’s not like there’s not talent there.
“I’m excited about having the chance to turn De Anza into an actual program,” DeLuca said. “… I think it’s a hidden gold mine for talent.”
Also, DeLuca said he’s excited about the potential for DA to be in a new 12-team league. The NCS Board of Managers votes on the proposal on April 18, and if it passes, De Anza will be part of one of the new “mini-conferences.”
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April 7th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Congratulations and best of luck to Coach DeLuca. A fine example of an established coach accepting the challenges of (literally) rebuilding a program. Go “Phoenix” Dons!
April 7th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Congrats! DeLuca was a pretty good football coach (offensive coordinator) as well back in the early 90′s at spsv. Hopefully he can assist with the de anza football program and bring them back up like they once used to be. Good luck with the basketball program!
April 9th, 2011 at 8:36 am
“I’m excited about having the chance to turn De Anza into an actual program,” DeLuca said. “… I think it’s a hidden gold mine for talent.”
The previous coach had an “actual program” that used to smoke DeLuca’s teams at PV.
Its a shame he had to put down the previous coach in order to make himself look good. He’s a “look at me guy,” everyone knows it.
April 12th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
@earhustler…I don’t know DeLuca, but a lot of guys are look at me guys…look at the guy who took over at John Swett. The previous coach there had worked with a young team and star Isaac Jackson for two years. It was his schedule and hard work that set a foundation for Swett to make the playoffs, not the new guys, and he took all the credit from what I’ve seen and heard…
April 14th, 2011 at 5:59 am
@Earhustler Deluca is a great Coach. Look up the records, when Deluca was at Pinole, DA and PV would have battles! But DA, NEVER beat them!
And you call 6 guys on varsity a program???? WOW! If that’s the case, high school basketball in the bay area is worst it’s ever been!