Ricker steps down as girls’ tennis coach at CdM
Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis coach Brian Ricker, who spent 11 seasons at the helm of one of the top high school programs in the country, resigned Wednesday.
On Thursday, CdM Athletic Director Don Grable announced who the new coach would be. The Sea Kings didn’t have to look far.
CdM boys’ tennis coach Jamie Gresh will also become the girls’ tennis head coach, Grable said, calling it “an absolute no-brainer.”
“We’re happy that he wants to step up and coach both,” Grable said. “We’ve got the perfect coach already involved in the program. This is a seamless transition.”
Ricker, 53, said he plans to move back to the Chicago area, where he lived for nearly a decade earlier in his adult life.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at CdM, and I’m ready for a new adventure,” Ricker said. “I lived in Chicago for almost 10 years, and I’m ready to wear a scarf and gloves in the winter again. And I’m looking for more affordable housing as I get ready to retire. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to coach high school tennis wherever I land.”
Ricker, a walk-on coach, said he told his players of his plans on Wednesday at an emotional team meeting. Junior Siena Sharf, who teamed with Riley Gerdau to make the CIF Southern Section Individuals round of 16 this season, said the news caught the players by surprise.
“I think we were all pretty sad,” Sharf said. “I think we all agree that he’s the best coach any of us has ever had. He’s made a huge impact on CdM tennis. He was very dedicated to CdM. But we’re also excited for him, because it’s a new chapter in his life.
“Brian has been my coach since sixth grade and has provided direction for me, on and off the court. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be playing tennis.”
The Sea Kings were a top team in CIF Southern Section Division 1 since Ricker’s arrival in 2004, following four years of coaching at Laguna Beach. In his 11-year tenure, CdM made at least the Division 1 semifinals nine times, making the championship match three straight years from 2006-08. The Sea Kings won the 2006 Division 1 title, concluding a perfect 24-0 season.
Ricker was 201-44 overall with the Sea Kings girls, including six Pacific Coast League titles. He also coached the CdM boys for four years from 2009-12, before CdM hired Gresh. In 2012, Ricker led them to their first Division 1 championship match appearance in nine years.
He said he told the CdM administration that this would be his final year midway through the recent girls’ tennis season, which included another Division 1 semifinals appearance and advancing to the CIF USTA Southern Regional semifinals for the first time in program history. After the season, the California Coaches’ Assn. named him the Southern Section Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year.
Ricker said Thursday that he wanted to stay until the end of the semester to ensure a smooth transition. Before learning that Gresh was the new girls’ head coach, Ricker endorsed him, saying that he thought Gresh would do a great job.
Gresh, 34, was an assistant with the girls’ team since being hired as the boys’ head coach in 2012.
“[Ricker and I] got along really well,” Gresh said. “I learned a lot from Brian ... I feel lucky that I’m part of CdM tennis, and a lot of it is due to Brian and all that he’s put into the program over the last 11 years. He kind of showed me how much you have to put into it. He was just so detail-oriented. He was always on top of everything.
“I’m very excited and happy to have this [girls’ head coaching] position,” Gresh added Thursday night, after finding out he had been hired for the role. “It was a nice co-partnership with Brian. I’m looking forward to the challenge. Obviously, it’s more work, but it’s a lot of reward. I feel like I’m taking over a great program.”
Ricker said he wanted to thank the administration and also his assistant coaches, Daniel Patterson (now CdM’s assistant principal) and Jody Young. In eight years coaching the CdM junior varsity girls’ team, Ricker said that Young has led them to a 141-3 record.
“I’ve been talking about this [move] to Coach Patterson and Jody for years,” Ricker said. “What kept me here longer was the great situation I had at CdM. It’s a great place to be a coach.”
