By Tim Peterson
(Hacienda Heights) – Former Bassett coach Hector Spathias, was named the head coach at Los Altos late Thursday sources confirmed.
In his final year at Bassett in 2015, Spathias led the Olympians to a 6-5 record and a playoff berth where they lost to San Dimas. Spathias left after the school after the season.
Spathias takes over for Dale Ziola, who stepped down after six seasons. Ziola guided the Conquerors to two CIF Finals appearances during his tenure including last year when they fell to Paraclete.
Spathias had been on Los Altos’ radar for some time but the school was waiting on board approval.
LA dad were awesome to deal with while I coached, but jstamom drove me out of coaching. Entitled parents are the worst to deal with. Glad I don’t deal with them anymore!
@ Bassett Dad
I agree with you I feel he will do a great job if administration backs him up as well as parents. Doing some reasesrch and talking to people I feel that Spathias wanted to make a big impact but was limited by administration support. When he started searching for other coaching jobs that’s when Bassett did not want anything to do with him. Here in LA he will have a brand new standium, new Nike jerseys and full support from a new principal that understand how improtant from administration is being an ex coach at the school before. As parents we need to embrace our coach and welcome a new era.
@JstaMom
Truth be told the reason your HC left and they didn’t promote him to a HC at Los Altos is because neither of them wanted them to be there anymore. If you didn’t know that, that’s the truth. Ask around, they knew this last year was their team and there is very little after that!
And if that doesn’t sit well with you and you’re still having a hard time believing that, the coaching search lasted from Dec to April. I think after 4 months if there was a more qualified person available for the job, they would’ve found him. If this job was so enticing why did they only have 11 applications for it? They had to reopen it because there was so little interest. Also as other people have stated on here, do some research on things before you comment. Spatthias is a great man and he’s a heck of a coach! You guys are lucky to have him considering your situation.
@Jstamom best 4 year run Bassett had while Spat was there. Spathais kept a lot of kids of the street by them playing football. When school or district wouldn’t come thru he pay things out of his own pocket. Those kids believed because they could see coaching staff cared. The Bassett coaching staff were veterans and young coaches who could get thru to the kids. Los Altos program will be a success if kids believe in the staff. Spathais loses coaching position cuz he was looking elsewhere or false alligation of what happened. Spathais is a coach who parents can talk to. LA mom ask your questions every parent should be free to ask. My question is he got fired as coach at Bassett because they didn’t want him around kids. But he was still allowed to teach there. If anything Los Altos parents district and administration has to support program and watch it shine.
These dudes are crazy. Absolutely you perfectly in your right to ask these questions. its weird a How a program like Bassett who should’ve been thrilled with his results decided he isn’t worth the headache and cut ties with him.
As for 6th period practice that is the drawbacks of on off campus coach. You would think at a place like Los Altos they would make room for their coach on campus. My sons school currently has an off campus coach and has night lifting sessions lmfao. When I played we lifted during 7th period and practiced right after which to me makes more sense than to allow the kids to leave and force them to comeback coaches need to understand school work comes first and most kids don’t drive which forces the parents to taxi back and fourth.
Truth be told I think that the admin dropped the ball on this. They should have promoted our DC to HC. It was going to be a challenge to get get a quality coach without a teaching position too. From what we have been told is that most of the better qualified coach’s would not accept the coaching job if it wasn’t accompanied by a teaching spot. We are stuck with the one who is left over. Maybe the team will be ok, maybe they won’t. Only time will tell.
Amen LA DAD!
A true conqueror fan stands by their coach. Programs fall when there are problems between parent and coach. I remember when Arellanes was hired most parents I spoke to were extatic about the hire. When Aguilar was hired everyone was happy it was one of our own, yet they all failed miserably. When Ziola was hired everyone was skeptical yet he proved the be the right choice. Why can’t we just wait and see what happens during the season and save our judgement till after.
So you’re going to believe everything you read on the boards? Come on now. The guy took one of the worse programs in the area to two straight playoff appearances imagine what he might be able to do at a school like LA with backing. So instead of making things awkward and tough back the guy and get ready for football. As for practice every other day they guy might know what he’s doing a little more then you.
@jstamom, Our justice system operates behind the notion of innocent until proven guilty. Great you are going to ask questions. A parent needs to be informed and comfortable with their child’s coach. However, it reads like in your mind he is already guilty of an allegation made against him. There are two sides to every story. Until after the meeting try to reserve judgement. Ask him to explain what happened at Bassett. Ask him to explain why the late practice time.
Lastly, give him the opportunity to either rise or fall on his own merits.
All of you LA people needed a coach. He applied and got the job. Why be mad at him for filling a need your school had. But you’ll never know until you give it a chance.
@jstamom, just to set the record straight for you people who take rumors and lies as facts.
1) if he hit or spit (haven’t heard that one before but good one) on any kid he wouldn’t be teaching
2) he was not fired, he was looking elsewhere admin didn’t like it and decided to go in another direction. Fact.
3) you guys got a great coach. Whether you agree or not, Complaining about it is couter Productive!
Our parent mtg tomorrow should be interesting when it comes to the q&a part. Most defiantly we will be asking Spat in front of everyone about why he was fired from Basset. There is no acceptable reason to hit or spit a player. It’s hard for us to believe that LA had no other options. The boys are behind already and now have to deal with a coach who hasn’t scheduled practice everyday, but only every other day. What kind of practice isn’t during 6th period. Our boys must leave school and return for practice at 5:30pm. LA had dropped the ball and our boys will now suffer.
Hitting a player is not acceptable. I guess I will have a question during our parent meeting tomorrow. It’s hard to believe this is the only person LA could find. All parents must be informed of why Basset let him go.
@Anon: I beat up one of my players then went on to make history. They made the best sports movie ever about me. Just pass the ball 5 times.
@anonymous, he has two from Fullerton college where he was the secondary coach.
How many rings does Jerry have
I love all the support from LA fans. You guys act like he’s making a jump to major college football, high school is high school especially in SGV. This is gonna be fun to watch lol.
Too risky for my liking. This Los Altos remember? Worst division to perhaps the strongest league not named the mission
I hear Jerry Urias and Aaron will coach with him, that’s huge!
Who’s his staff??
Allegations were completely false, Los Altos got a great guy and he brings a tremendous staff!
Shouldn’t an administrator like you be busy @anonymous?
Go cook up a better pitch for the Wing T LOL
Didn’t anyone from Ziola’s staff want the job? Did LA want to part ways with all things Ziola? Hiring a fired HC from the weakest league around sounds well….weak. Hard to paint lipstick on a……
Allegations of putting hands on a student is no joke. Why is Los Altos gambling? Is the pool that shallow?
This will be interesting. Success will hinge on the hiring of a coach that lives in Las Vegas and needs to paid, and the hiring of Williams. If one of those do not occur all bets are off. Trouble will follow for the team. I do not know much about Spathis’s himself, the obvious Bassett issue and the Gladstone mess, but as the HC at Bassett the program improved.
If he doesn’t get Jerry or Williams he could just be a nice guy with a tough season or two ahead of him.
The truth of this situation is that LA got lucky with Ziola, who briefly reminded us of past glory. With Dale’s exit, and this is said with all due respect to Spat, it’s back to being average.
Spathais is a great guy. Surrounded by great coaches they be ok. Is he moving up to the big boys division yes. He was cleared of allegation at Bassett. Bassett administration thought they could keep winning without him so they brought in Chris Long. What happened with the same talent under Long team went back to the 1-9 season. His staff turned athletes in football players. On his last team he probably had 3 kids who played tackle football before high school. So for a school that loses some athletes to bigger schools he did good. As a parent he always been a class act. Even my son said it was fun playing for Spathais. For my son never playing football till high school and being 1st team all league his senior year I say it was done because Spathais and staff had kids believing in themselves. Spathais is going to Los Altos where they have better talent and athletes. Give him a chance if kids believe in program things will be ok.
His staff will be off the charts, you can count on it! It’s the staff, not the head coach that makes the difference…
@ anonymous, get out of here with that garbage! I know who you are, you are making serious allegations that are not true, do you really want to go down this road???
@ Football Nut
I agree with you. I would have loved for them to bring a coach with maybe division 1 experience. Or someone that has won a championship that knows what it takes to get over that hill. I think the problem in this case was just the lack of pay or the lack of a teaching position. Which is understandable most guys want to be able to coach but also earn a decent income for their family.
I would like to congratulate Hector Spathias, Los Altos is going to love this guy. Works hard and will hire a great staff.
Speaking about his staff, I would also like to congratulate Jerry Urias who in my opinion is the best coach in the SGV and will finally have the stage to prove it. I am disappointed we weren’t able to lure Jerry to our school but extremely excited to see what he and Hector are able to accomplish. Good luck coaches.
@Football Fan
Fair enough… Just thought LA could have found a HC with championship experience.
@Football Nut
In the years Spathias was head coach at Bassett they played teams such as San Dimas, Paraclete, and Pomona which were the years they won a CIF championship. So I am sure he understands the talent it takes to win it at that level. What to me is remarkable is taking a team dead in the water and giving them life. This guy changed the program around with lets be honest not the best talent around , yet competed and took that team to the playoffs. So imagine now with the potential of better players, whats not to say he can be successful. How about we give him a chance prior to jumping into conclusions.
Wait wait wait isn’t he the guy who punched a kid in the face? This is Los Altos man!!!!
You get a promotion for punching a kid? Flabbergasted!
You guys are actually comparing Bassett’s quality of schedule to what LA plays… LA is a big boy program. As good has Ziola’s teams were in the finals they lost. Including a complete blow out against Colony in 2014. You think Spathais’ has coached against that type of talent!! You guys got jokes.
Ziola no ties to Los Altos? Came from out of nowhere? Better acquaint yourselves with the back story of Ziola’s hire. Winning is one aspect. Winning with class and sportsmanship is another.
What is Spathias history?. Is he a walk-on?. Why did he quit on Basset?
Ziola kick-started his tenure with a midnight practice and never looked back. I suggest an equally novel stunt for Spat, such as team orientation hour under a fierce cold water spray in the gym’s shower stalls.
The haters sound like the spoiled anarchists in Berkley….Why not give the guy a chance? Sounds like he’s a proven winner.
He is a coach that revived a Basset team that only had 16 players the year before. He took Basset, yes I said Basset to the playoffs two years in a row. I think this is a coach that knows how to build a program and make it successful. With support from administration and parents this could potentially be a great pick up. Let not forget that Ziola was a no name coach with zero head coach experience. He came as an assistant from Montebello, yet took Los Altos to the CIF championship two years in a row. Lets give this guy a chance before we start putting down the hire.
Great guy, very intelligent, I though he was crazy taking the Bassett job, but his staff worked miracles with those boys. One thing I know now he loves a challenge. This will be a challenge, 30 plus seniors will graduate and the tough schedule. I know he could put together a coaching staff like no other. I hope he brings on Jerry and Aaron.
Its a good hire. They are getting a coach with experience that was able to remarkably change the mentality of a program that was pretty much close to being shut down. For those that are complaining about not getting a better name coach, who do you suggest? There is only a small amount of availability especially in a district that does not pay the best. So for Coach Spathias to take on this challenge is great in itself. For those asking saying he will fail because he has no ties to the program, well Ziola did not have any ties yet was very successful. Its a good hire that in the long run will benefit both parties. Spathias was looking for a program he can make his and I think this is a good opportunity to be in the spotlight. With a new principal that understands athletics in high school, he will have the support of administration.
That’s the best LA can do??? WTF!
Wonder if jerry Urias will be the OC and Williams the DC. They were with him at basset and SEM.
Congrats Spath. Do it your way and ignore all the negativity.
Horrible decision by Hector. He’s getting a late start on a program that graduated a ton of talent, with an unforgiving booster club. He has no ties to the school, something that will be held against him. He should of spoke to Arellanas before taking this gig. Great guy, who just signed up for a bad situation.
Spathias had a great run at Bassett completely turned around the program, school spirit, and community.
Will be curious to see what he can do at Los Altos
Who? This is the best Los Altos can get? SMH
Congrats to Coach Spat. He did well at Bassett with no support from administration. Best of luck Coach
Bigtime hire!!!