Riley at home on Newport Harbor coaching staff

Diggy Riley is on the bench for the Newport Harbor High girls’ water polo team this winter.

He is on Brian Melstrom’s staff, coaching in an assistant role at his alma mater, and he couldn’t be happier.

It’s a sort of return for Riley, 53, who resigned as Edison’s boys’ and girls’ water polo and swimming coach in March. He coached the boys’ water polo team for 15 seasons and the girls’ squad for 11.

But life was too complicated for Riley following the death of his wife, Sally, from cancer in April 2015. The grind of being a head coach became too much.

“There was just so much going on and I just ran out of gas,” Riley said. “I think I coached the worst year I’ve ever coached, without a doubt. The passion was kind of gone. Then stepping away from it, the passion really wasn’t gone. The passion to be a head coach was gone. Walking into an assistant position at Newport Harbor High School, my alma mater? It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Riley graduated from Newport Harbor in 1981 and went on to play college water polo at UC Irvine and USC. He had been back to coach on the Newport pool deck often, as a coach at Edison during the Wednesday night Sunset League showcase games and also later with club.

Riley has been coaching club with Newport Water Polo Foundation since the girls’ age-group program returned there in 2014. Last spring, Melstrom invited him onto the pool deck following the high school season, and things just clicked. Riley already knew some of the Sailors’ younger players, like sophomores Karis Coach and Kili Skibby, from coaching them in club.

He said he wanted the flexibility that an assistant coaching job provided. Over the summer, he traveled to Italy to watch his former player at Edison, Danielle Warde, get married.

“I wanted to keep it simple and make my life a lot easier than it has been over the last 14 years,” he said. “I was clear with Melstrom that I did not want to be a head coach again, I wanted to be his assistant ... and it was just a natural fit.”

Melstrom, who was himself a longtime assistant to Bill Barnett, can appreciate the knowledge that Riley brings to the table. The Sailors upset Foothill, 7-5, last week to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Riley said he could also assist Melstrom coaching swimming in the spring. For now, he’s happy to be back at his alma mater.

“It just feels like I’m home,” he said.

CdM girls’ soccer No. 1 in Division 2

The Corona del Mar High girls’ soccer was undefeated at 8-0 through Wednesday. And the Sea Kings have been rewarded, as they are the top-ranked team in the initial CIF Southern Section Division 2 poll.

Newport Harbor is also ranked in the first Division 2 poll, at No. 9. The Sea Kings and Sailors play in the annual Battle of the Bay rivalry game Thursday at CdM.

Overall, six area schools are ranked in their respective CIF divisions for girls’ soccer.

Division 1: 1. Santa Margarita; 2. Los Alamitos; 3. Aliso Niguel; 4. JSerra; 5. Edison; 6. Tesoro; 7. Harvard-Westlake; 8. Dana Hills; 9. Troy; 10(t). Westlake; 10(t). Hart.

Division 2: 1. Corona del Mar; 2. Sunny Hills; 3. Villa Park; 4. San Luis Obispo; 5. Moorpark; 6. Capo Valley; 7. Temecula Valley; 8. Mira Costa; 9. Newport Harbor; 10(t). La Mirada; 10(t). ML King.

Division 4: 1. Sierra Canyon; 2. Temescal Canyon; 3. Estancia; 4. La Quinta; 5. Laguna Beach; 6. California; 7. Calvary Chapel; 8. Diamond Ranch; 9. Simi Valley; 10. Grand Terrace.

Division 6: 1. Vasquez; 2. Los Amigos; 3. West Valley; 4. Nuview Bridge; 5. Grace Brethren; 6. Valley Christian Cerritos; 7. Ontario; 8. Webb; 9. Santa Rosa Academy; 10. Xavier Prep.

Laguna earns top polo spot

The Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team is the top-ranked team in the first CIF Southern Section Division 1 poll, which was released Monday. The Breakers, who improved to 2-0 with Tuesday’s 21-0 win against Edison, highlight four local teams that are ranked in their respective CIF divisions.

Division 1: 1. Laguna Beach; 2. Dos Pueblos; 3. San Marcos; 4. Orange Lutheran; 5. Mater Dei; 6. Foothill; 7. Corona del Mar; 8. Los Alamitos; 9. Santa Margarita; 10. Santa Barbara. Others: Newport Harbor, Huntington Beach

Division 3: 1. Redondo Union; 2. Villa Park; 3. Corona Santiago; 4. Long Beach Wilson; 5. Marina; 6. Harvard-Westlake; 7. Irvine; 8. Edison; 9. Warren; 10. La Serna. Others: Lompoc Cabrillo, Thousand Oaks, University.