Stoll. In Orange County’s robust high school water polo community, the El Toro coach only goes by his last name.
Only a few other veteran coaches are given such status, which is clearly tied to winning.
Don Stoll, 56, has done his share. Since taking over the El Toro program in 1981, he has captured five Southern Section titles. The Chargers won back-to-back DivisionI crowns in 1992-93 and won three consecutive section titles from 1988-90. The titles in 1988 and 1989 were in 3-A (now DivisionII) and 1990 came in DivisionI.
Stoll’s sons, Brent, and, Greg, were All-County players at El Toro in the 1990s. Greg, the county’s 1995 co-player of the year with Brian Brown of Foothill, nearly died this spring after collapsing at the end of a half-marathon in Indianapolis.
The incident mellowed the intense coach, but the victories continue to mount. He recorded his 499th victory at El Toro with a 10-8 triumph Friday against Corona del Mar. He has more than 500 career victories thanks to a few seasons at Ocean View and Westminster in the 1970s while climbing the ranks.
Stoll recently spoke with The Register’s Dan Albano to reflect on coaching and the people who support him.
Q: You probably can’t come up with many things in your life that you have 500 of, right?
A:Yeah. I’ve been married 500 days. I have 35 years with my wife (Chris). We just celebrated our anniversary. That’s the most important thing in my life.
Q: How many victories must coaches who started before you – guys such as Servite’s Jim Sprague or former Newport Harbor boys coach Bill Barnett — have?
A:I’m sure Barnett is in the 700s. When I was playing (at Long Beach Poly), he was coaching. I don’t know if he even keeps track. Sprague has probably been around long enough to get in the 600s, but he had some years at USC (as an assistant coach).
Q: What do you enjoy the most about water polo?
A:I enjoy the kids. I enjoy the interaction. I enjoy staying young. I get a year older every year, and they stay 14 to 18 every year.
Q: Has Greg’s incident changed your perspective on coaching?
A:I’m a lot more mellow than I used to be. I’ve just got to take things day to day and realize that water polo is water polo, and life is a lot more precious than some people take it.
Q: Who has been the biggest support to you in your coaching career?
A:I would say my family and my wife. A lot of coaching buddies of mine are divorced. My wife often says I’m married to the team, but she knows where my heart is. She’s there to support me. She comes to most games still. She is always there for me. Without someone supporting you like that, it would be a tough occupation.
Q: Greatest season and why?
A:’93 because both my sons, Greg, and Brent, were in the water, CIF (Division I) finals. We’re losing by five with a quarter-and-a-half to go (against Corona del Mar), and we came back and won in overtime (10-9).
Q: Toughest opponent and why?
A:Probably for us, San Clemente, because they’re in our league and we have to deal with them every year. There’s been years that we were supposed to win and didn’t, and there’s been years they were supposed to win and didn’t. It’s always a real battle in league to decide who is going to win the league title.
Q: You’ve had success attracting players from other sports to come out for water polo and give it a try. What do you look for in those kids?
A: I do coach the roller hockey team in the spring. They have to go in the water with me two days a week. Any roller-hockey kid who can swim a little bit or looks like he can swim, I encourage him to come out. I’ve had some real success with Jeremy Randall, who is playing at UC San Diego now. He was a really good athlete in the water and was just playing roller hockey. He became a goalie. He actually developed into a pretty fast swimmer. … Secondly, you look for size. Allen Basso (formerly of USC) is another example. He played basketball.
Q: How much longer do you want to coach El Toro water polo?
A:That’s a $64,000 question. My age is 56. … We’ll see when I get to 61.
Q: What will 500 victories at El Toro mean to you?
A:What it means is there’s been a lot of fun in my life. A lot of years where I’ve had an opportunity to deal with different chemistry on teams. The kids every year surprise me and rejuvenate me. … You start at ground-zero and develop something by November and go for it.
