Santa Margarita girls basketball coach Matt Houser, who guided the Eagles to two CIF championships in 2010 and 2014, announced his resignation Thursday.
Santa Margarita High said in a news release Houser has accepted a women’s basketball assistant coaching position at Concordia University.
In a telephone interview Thursday, Houser confirmed the resignation, but would not say whether he had accepted a post at Concordia.
“This is a great time in my life to keep working to reach my goal to be a head Division 1 college coach” Houser said in the release. “I want to thank you for all the great times while I have been coaching here at SMCHS. I wish the program the best of luck.”
In his five seasons at Santa Margarita, Houser compiled a 74-77 record, and last season was named CIF-Southern Section Division 3A Coach of the Year. In 2013-14, the Eagles – with just two upperclassmen on its 9-player squad – finished 21-14, won the CIF-SS Division 3A title, and advanced to the CIF Southern California Division III championship game.
Houser, a Laguna Hills High graduate, said Thursday that coaching a Division I program “has always been the ultimate goal.” He said his five years at Santa Margarita have helped prepare him.
“Santa Margarita was kind of like coaching in college,” he said. “The school has that mentorship all the way down the line that instructed you on how they do things. It worked. It really prepared me for this next step.”
Houser called out former Santa Margarita girls basketball coach, current Athletic Director Rick Schaaf and current Associate Athletic Director Doug Williams as administrators who helped guide him throughout his tenure at the high school.
“I was really lucky. They groomed me as a coach,” Houser said. “They knew I was young, but they backed me and showed me the ropes.”
Houser said the most difficult aspect of his decision to leave was informing the team.
“Last year’s team really had a tight bond with each other,” he said. “The only way we go that far as young as we were is because of how tight we were as a team. They tried as hard as they could for us, and that’s what you want as a coach.
“I’m really going to miss them. Unlike the first team that I won CIF with, this group was my girls. That’s what makes this decision so hard.”
Sophomore starting center Taylor Donohue said Houser’s resignation was difficult for the team.
“It was hard because he affected all of our lives,” she said. “He made us into a team and not just a group of players.”
Despite losing Division 3A Player of the Year Zaire Williams to graduation, Houser feels he’s left the program in good shape. The Eagles return eight players, including All-CIF pick Tori Anderson.
“I truly believe this team will go back-to-back and win another CIF title, and go to state,” Houser said.
Schaaf agreed.
“We feel the program is in a good place because of what Matt did,” Schaaf said. “We wish him success, but now it’s time to find the best candidate we can for the girls, the program and the school.”
Schaaf said he has already received four or five inquiries about the position through phone calls and emails. He said he hopes to find a replacement before the school year ends next week.
Contact the writer: magarcia@ocregister.com