Coach of the Year: Arturo Ormond

Edison Tigers win D-I title with solid leadership.

Published online on Saturday, Apr. 04, 2009

There's a bit more giddyup in Arturo Ormond's steps these days.

Reflecting on a Central Section basketball championship isn't new for the Edison High boys basketball coach.

He's won three straight.

But there's more glee in No. 3. Here's why:

- After capturing consecutive Division II titles, the Tigers were bumped to D-I, which meant Clovis East and Clovis West territory, among others.

- Gone were their top six players from a 28-5 team that reached the Southern California Regional D-II championship last year.

- Among the departed was 6-foot-10 Greg Smith, one of the nation's top centers, who transferred out of state for his senior season.

But all that was buried in mass celebration about 10 p.m. March 7 in Selland Arena after Edison registered a magical 66-65 win over Central for the D-I title.

"I didn't see it coming," says Ormond, The Bee's Boys Coach of the Year. "That's why, for me personally, it's the most rewarding - we had a further journey."

Ormond managed high-profile talent well in the first three seasons of a four-year, 103-24 career at Edison while delivering Kellan Carter, Phillip Ward and Darshawn McClellan to the major college level.

This time, he assembled a relatively anonymous group, struggled to establish identification in a so-so 12-6 nonleague schedule, gained momentum in a 10-0 sprint through the County/Metro Athletic Conference and dropped the hammer in the postseason.

Further, it was a playoff sweep of the Tri-River Athletic Conference, the section's elite league.

First, 69-65 at Clovis West, denying the Golden Eagles a chance at a 13th consecutive D-I final. Then a 61-58 come-from-behind win at home against Buchanan. And, finally, the last-second conquest over Central on an out-of-bounds play appropriately called "quick" by Ormond from the bench.

Nat Harrison, a nonstarter, came off a screen, received a lob pass from Jameal York, caught and shot, and the Tigers had a most improbable and state-record 21st section crown.

"At the beginning of the year, we couldn't execute that play, we couldn't execute anything," Ormond says. "It was frustrating. The pieces were there, but I just didn't know if it was going to happen.

"But the teams I had in the past set the bar, they set the standard, and the pressure was on. We lost to Central and Clovis East \[consecutively in early January\], and it turned everything around. From that point on, I had their attention."

Between Clovis West and Clovis East, the Clovis Unified School District had accounted for 12 of the past 14 D-I championships (two of which CW forfeited).

Ormond acknowledges a Fresno west-side complex in regard to competing with Clovis Unified, but he says it doesn't apply to him, and that the title-game qualifying victories over Clovis West and Buchanan didn't carry added significance because of it.

"It bothers me that our kids have that complex," he says. "When they beat Clovis West, it was like the biggest thing, but I was like, 'Hey, this is only the first game, we're not playing to beat Clovis West, we're playing to win a championship.'"

"There is that complex; it's really big with the kids and the people in the community. But it doesn't validate anything for me as a coach; that's not what I hang my hat on. My goal is to win as much as we can and put another banner up.

"Whether it be against Fresno Unified, Central Unified or Clovis Unified, it doesn't matter."

The reporter can be reached at aboogaard@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6336.