Orange County Prep Review : Katella’s Coach Danley Honored : And He’s Not Retiring, or Dying or Running for Office

They threw a tribute for Tom Danley, Katella High School basketball coach, at the Anaheim Convention Center last week and 250 people each paid $25 to attend.

Although the event was designed as a show of gratitude for Danley, who has guided Katella’s 20 teams to 20 playoff berths, at times it had the appearance of a campaign dinner.

What other high school coach in mid-career would command personal salutes from Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates, a bevy of county supervisors, the mayor and city council members from Anaheim, the state CIF commissioner, the president of the Orange County Officials’ Assn., USC’s former basketball coach and UC Irvine’s basketball coach?

The event last Tuesday was kept a secret from Danley through several months of preparations, but he learned of it two weeks ago.

Danley is aware that a tribute for an active coach is a bit of a novelty.

“I know I’m not retiring and I know I’m not dying and I’m not running for office,” he kept assuring people as he worked the room between the meal’s courses.

This was Katella’s way of thanking a tireless blur of courtside intensity generally packaged in a Knight-red jacket.

His title is athletic director, but his native habitat is the basketball court. During the season, his primary identifying characteristic is a facial hue closely resembling the school color.

Under Danley’s motivational techniques, Katella’s teams have compiled an overall record of 410-125 (a .766 winning percentage) and a league mark of 222-34 (.862).

The event afforded its participants a sort of open season on Danley.

Typical for such an occasion, there were numerous rips, many laughs and even a few tears.

University of Arizona basketball Coach Lute Olson, who started his career at Loara High, sent a letter of praise that was read at the event.

Earl Engman, a longtime basketball official, has been subjected to his share of Danley’s aggressive game demeanor over the years.

“We’ve had the message from the college basketball coaches and now we have a message from the basketball referees,” Engman announced and delivered a loud, good-natured raspberry.

“Last year in summer league, Tom earned the all-time record for the shortest amount of time (elapsed) before getting a technical. . . . I gave him the T and turned around and looked up at the clock and there were only three seconds gone.”

Danley summed up the night with words that most of his audience had probably heard many times before.

”. . . Yes, I do believe in Mom, apple pie and our country, and there’s not a damn thing wrong with that,” he said.

Prep Notes

Commissioner Ray Plutko reported at Thursday’s CIF Southern Section General Council meeting that the number of unsportsmanlike incidents reported in baseball has increased significantly, particularly the number of coaches’ ejections. . . . The volume of athlete transfer requests increased from 450 in 1983-84 to 678 this season, Plutko said. . . . The Freeway League will experiment with a three-point field goal in basketball next season. The distance will be 19 feet, 9 inches. . . . Dave Demarest, the La Quinta baseball coach, was one of three coaches selected for the South All-Star team in the North-South baseball series June 6-8 at Stockton. Tryouts for the team, which will be composed of 18 players from the Southern Section, L.A. City and San Diego Section are June 1. . . . H.L. Looney, former Buena Park football coach and retired principal of Troy High, was presented a Life Pass at the council meeting. . . . In his final address to the council, Plutko said: “My biggest disappointment was that I could never solve the problem of summer competition.” . . . Hot bats in North County: Freeway League baseball champion Sonora (15-0, 24-1) has a 22-game winning streak going back to a loss to Glendora in the Glendora Tournament on March 5. . . . In its last six games, Troy (9-6, 12-9) has produced 17 home runs and 78 hits. . . . The 18 players who have batted this season for Empire League champion Esperanza have a team average of .364 to their opponents’ .191. The Aztec starting lineup is hitting .392. . . . In Southern Section 2-A boys’ tennis, Glenn will replace Bellflower, declared ineligible by the Suburban League for using an ineligible player, in Tuesday’s playoff match at Valencia. . . . Former Marina quarter-miler Chip Rish, a freshman on football scholarship to Arizona State, has been invited to race in the 400 meters at the Pepsi Invitational track meet at UCLA’s Drake Stadium Saturday. Rish, who ran a personal best of 45.7 (hand timed) on his way to winning the 400 at last year’s state high school meet, will be entered in a field with Olympic medalists Antonio McKay and Gabriel Tiacoh, 1985 world leader Michael Franks, Nigerian Olympic finalist Innocent Egbunike, world junior record holder Darrell Robinson, 1986 U.S. leader Devon Morris (45.12) and UCLA freshmen Henry Thomas and Danny Everett. . . . Two Tustin High girls’ basketball players, Ann Jeffries and Joy Fuller, have made commitments to play for Cal Lutheran University next season. Jeffries, a 5-9 forward, was an All-Century League first team selection last season and her team’s top defender. Fuller, a 5-9 guard/forward, averaged 6.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and was on the All-League first team as a junior.