Whitacre Resigns as Costa Mesa Girls’ Basketball Coach

Len Whitacre, who left a successful program he helped build at Villa Park High to take over an established program at Costa Mesa, has resigned as the school’s girls’ basketball coach.

Whitacre, whose decision came after a recent illness, said he wanted to spend time on a writing project and felt alienated within the program.

“I told the players [Monday] that I feel like an uninvited guest, an odd uncle perhaps, who got himself invited to Christmas dinner and now it’s Valentine’s day and the guest is still at the table,” Whitacre said.

“I just felt like I didn’t fit in and was never going to fit in. It wasn’t a single event, just a long series of things. I finally came to realize that they [some of the players and parents] would probably be a little happier if I left.”

Whitacre had a 30-17 record at Costa Mesa, fifth-ranked in the Southern Section Division III.