L.A. Times ladies’ basketball coach of the 12 months: Stan Delus of Etiwanda

There’s no debate in regards to the ladies’ basketball coach of the 12 months if you information your group to consecutive victories over nationally ranked La Jolla Country Day, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon and San Jose Archbishop Mitty to win the Open Division state championship. That’s what Stan Delus achieved at Etiwanda to earn The Times’ ladies’ basketball coach of the 12 months award.

Except Delus did rather more. He discovered a option to hand Sierra Canyon its solely defeat, determining a protection to comprise participant of the 12 months Juju Watkins. He received his star participant, Kennedy Smith, to reload for the state playoffs and play on the high of her sport. And he found out the right way to have his group overcome an eight-point deficit within the fourth quarter in Sacramento in opposition to top-of-the-line coaches in America.

All that and extra introduced respect to Delus, whose Eagles received the Southern Section Open Division title final season however misplaced to Sierra Canyon on this season’s closing. The Eagles received their revenge within the regional finals. Then got here a 49-47 victory over Mitty on a buzzer-beater, put-back basket from Jada Sanders.

As for what drives the Eagles, Delus mentioned, “Yes, we have a chip on our shoulder. And we’re going to have one next year, because I’m the coach. Period.”