PAUL ORRIS

Richard Dunn

When Paul Orris arrived at Corona del Mar High in 1970, his

credentials in mathematics landed him his first teaching job out of

college.

But, because of the dismissal of a math teacher at the school who

was also the freshman boys basketball coach, the new position for

Orris entailed expanding his X’s and O’s onto the hardwood and paved

the way for the eventual winningest hoops coach in Newport-Mesa

District history.

“Tandy Gillis wasn’t even asked if he was interested in having me

as part of his staff,” Orris said of the former CdM varsity head man.

“The principal interviewed me and offered me the job. After I got the

job, I talked to Tandy and picked up real fast that defense is a

high-priority item.”

With his grasp of fractions and pie charts, Orris was masterfully

able to create defensive strategies against even the best offenses.

“From a defensive standpoint, it was enjoyable to analyze another

team and I learned this from Tandy and, to a great extent, Jack

[Errion], too,” said Orris, who coached the freshman team for 16

years [when Gillis and Errion were the varsity coaches], then guided

the CdM varsity for 15 campaigns, beginning in the 1986-87 season,

when the Sea Kings finished 24-7 and won the Sea View League title.

Orris, who would spend countless hours scouting opponents and

often travel several miles to catch a glimpse of his team’s possible

CIF Southern Section playoff opponents, took the varsity baton from

Errion and continued the CdM tradition of hard-nosed defense and a

tactical offense that patiently looks for an open player.

Though it wasn’t always a fast-paced style that enticed the

average fan to buy a ticket, the system worked to the tune of three

league championships, two CIF Division IV-AA titles and a 229-199

career record, the most victories by any hoops coach in district

annals. The Sea Kings were also CIF runners-up three times in various

divisions.

As for Orris’ postseason scouting efforts, Corona del Mar had a

29-10 record in the CIF Playoffs during his tenure, making 12 trips

to the playoffs and advancing past the first round every year except

one.

“If you ask some students in my classes, they may disagree with

this, but I still enjoy teaching and working with students and seeing

them pick up an idea and develop it -- that’s exciting to me,” said

Orris, in his 33rd year teaching at CdM, with plans to continue for

another six or seven years.

“I don’t look at coaching basketball as that different from

coaching mathematics or teaching mathematics. You use the same skills

and strategies. You’re teaching and you use a variety of techniques

that you adjust, depending on the individual. What works for one guy

might not for the other ... We told the guys in basketball we never

play a perfect game, because somebody has always scored some points

against us, and it’s the same thing in mathematics. You haven’t done

things perfectly, but you keep exploring what you’re doing so you

have every opportunity to be successful.”

Orris, who conducts two math clinics for CdM students during the

week [including Wednesday nights] with longtime colleague Dave Sizer,

who broke in with Orris at the same time, isn’t the type to start a

hobby, so most of his free time is spent helping math students after

school. But there are some things Orris misses about coaching

basketball, like “matching wits against other coaches. That’s a fun

part of it.”

The latest honoree in the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame, Orris

couldn’t name a specific highlight after 31 years of coaching, but

made references to the annual Jack Errion Memorial CdM Alumni

Basketball Tournament every summer, his second freshman team that won

a league championship and coaching his son, Jeff, in 1991.

Orris, who lives in Huntington Beach with his wife of 33 years,

Betsy, allowed his son to make the decision about where he wanted to

attend high school -- Ocean View, which was near their house, or CdM,

where he’d traveled for numerous years to watch his father coach.

Their other son, Dan, played golf at Ocean View and Orange Coast

College.

“They turned out real well. They’re good guys,” Orris said of his

sons.

Never a basketball star at Long Beach Wilson High [Class of ‘65],

Orris earned his undergraduate degree at SMU and his teaching

credential at Long Beach State, before accepting his first and only

job at Corona del Mar. He resigned as CdM’s coach following the

2000-01 season.