Potts departs Burbank boys’ basketball
He orchestrated one of the most successful seasons in Burbank High boys’ basketball history.
Jamayne Potts helped elevate the Bulldogs program, turned around a losing team and guided the Bulldogs to a CIF Southern Section championship game appearance.
However, after three years with Burbank, Potts is moving on. The coach resigned this week to accept a position as director of boys’ basketball as well as head varsity coach at Village Christian.
“It was probably the hardest decision that I’ve had in my life so far,” Potts said. “Because there are such great people who I’ve developed such great relationships with at Burbank … Just what I developed with the administration there, and the players, especially the seniors, and the parents. I had just so much support and really the grass is green at Burbank.
“Making the decision I wanted to be able to go into a position that I could be very successful. I feel right now is the time that I have been called upon to go help another program. Village Christian is a place where there is a lot of support. The resources are also in place there to be very successful. That is a school that has so much history and a tradition of winning.”
Potts guided the Bulldogs to two 20-win seasons in three years and his squads compiled a 62-32 overall record and went 23-19 in Pacific League to finish fourth three times.
This past season, Burbank went 17-11 and 7-7 in league. The Bulldogs saw their season come to a close with an 82-73 loss to Cypress in the first round of the Division II-A playoffs.
Potts’ finest accomplishment came in the 2016-17 season. After placing fourth in the Pacific League, the Bulldogs played their best in the postseason. Burbank advanced to a CIF Southern Section championship game for the first time in 91 years, where it fell in the Division III-AA final to Brentwood in overtime, 55-54.
The Bulldogs then embarked on the deepest state playoff run in program history. Burbank, which finished 25-10, saw its season come to an end in the SoCal semifinals against Reedley Immanuel, 58- 57.
Potts took over at Burbank in 2015 and inherited a squad that went 12-15, 4-10 in the Pacific League, the previous season.
Potts takes over a Village Christian program that has enjoyed success in the past. The Crusaders have gone 166-54 overall over the last seven years, including 42-14 in league. The program has captured four Olympic League titles (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016), two CIF Southern Section championships (2014, 2015) and one state title (2012).
However, the program struggled last season under former Providence coach Michael Westphal, who guided the Crusaders for just one year. Village Christian went 2-15 and 0-8 to finish last in the Olympic League and didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
“Knowing their situation the last two years, last year winning just two games and the year before finishing under .500, there are definitely some similarities to the situation when I took over at Burbank,” Potts said.
“There is definitely some potential for us to be successful. But I am very lucky to have my coaching staff that was with me at Burbank coming with me, because you don’t do it alone for sure.”
At Village Christian, Potts joins former Burbank coach and colleague Richard Broussard, who is in his first season heading the Crusaders’ football program.
Burbank will begin immediately to find a replacement for Potts and the job opening is expected to be posted Friday or Monday.
Twitter: @jefftsports
