BRENT OGDEN

Richard Dunn

Early in his career as a walk-on assistant football coach at

Corona del Mar High, winning came so frequently that Brent Ogden’s

true football discernment might have been a little distorted.

Ogden, as close as anyone to owning the label “Mr. Corona del Mar”

with his upbringing and involvement in CdM athletics, started

coaching football in 1986 with Bill Cool on the freshman level, then

moved up to the sophomore team and a year later landed on the varsity

under legendary former CdM Coach Dave Holland.

The Sea Kings didn’t lose much in those years. They had players in

the program like Danny O’Neil, Jeff Jackson, Warren Johnson, Weston

Johnson, Brian Lucas, Jerrott Willard, Bobby Hall, John Katovsich and

Todd Katovsich.

In Ogden’s first year as a coach, the CdM freshman team enjoyed an

undefeated campaign, then the sophomore team went unbeaten, then the

varsity captured back-to-back CIF Southern Section Division VI

championships.

“I thought, ‘Hey, anybody can coach this game,’ ” said Ogden, who

spent three years coaching Junior All-American Football, but has

otherwise been attached to the CdM program since ’86 and touched many

lives with his positive attitude.

“It’s fun. I love being a positive influence to (the players),”

added Ogden, a longtime member of the Board of Directors for

Newport-Mesa Junior All-American Football.

Ogden has coached many athletes in this year’s CdM sophomore class

in football, soccer and baseball, through the youth teams of his son,

Brent III.

Ogden’s dad, Brent, played quarterback at Cal, while this week’s

Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame honoree played fullback and middle

linebacker at CdM in the early 1970s, then continued his career at

San Diego State.

“Corona del Mar’s home for me. It’s a special place,” Ogden said.

“I’ve donated a lot of time and effort over the years, but I just

love the kids. The school has a great administration, a great

coaching staff and to me a great environment. If Tommy Lasorda bleeds

blue for the Dodgers, then I bleed blue for Corona del Mar.

“I’m probably the only one who can sing the alma mater -- albeit a

little off tune, of course. But I can sing it.”

Perhaps Ogden’s greatest contribution to the program came in the

manner of his business. A builder and developer with about 100

shopping centers in Southern California to his company’s credit,

Ogden and a few other motivated CdM dads -- among them John Walz,

David Grubbs and Gordie Clemens -- built the weight facility and

football complex on campus and named it after Holland.

“We went down to Marine National Bank, where we had a

relationship, and borrowed $350,000 and just built the facility and

donated it,” Ogden said. “It has really helped the football program

get the maximum potential out of every kid who comes through the

program, because with a small school, you need to get the most out of

it. And this facility gives them the tools so they can all survive

with a small roster. It has worked out real well and paid dividends.”

Ogden, who designed the building, and Grubbs wanted to implement

the plan sooner, but it wasn’t until “Walz and that group” came along

that the blueprint reached fruition in the mid-1990s.

“It took time to get it through the Newport-Mesa school board,

because they were concerned something was behind it. But there

wasn’t. We just wanted to build the facility and donate it,” he said.

In terms of highlights for Ogden, the second CIF Division VI

championship in 1989 would top the list as a coach, because, that

year, nobody thought the Sea Kings would repeat, including

themselves.

“We thought we’d have to get lucky to even get into the playoffs,”

Ogden said.

As a player, Ogden said “always beating Edison” was a highlight.

In the autumn of 1973, Ogden earned second-team All-Irvine League

honors as a linebacker and also led the Sea Kings’ offense in

rushing, which included a 139-yard effort and two touchdowns on 18

carries against Magnolia in the season finale.

Ogden, whose company was recently awarded the contract by the

county for the redevelopment of Dana Point Harbor, lives in Corona

del Mar with his wife, Katie, and three children -- twins Breanne and

Brent III and Carlyn, 11. Ogden could also be spotted last fall

behind the microphone at CdM girls volleyball matches.