Fleming Named Basketball Coach at Laguna Beach

Bret Fleming has been named boys’ basketball coach at Laguna Beach High School, pending approval by the Laguna Beach Unified School Board, Athletic Director Thomas Purdy said Tuesday.

Last week, Laguna Beach Principal Barbara Callard selected Fleming, an assistant basketball coach for four years at the school, but the hiring will not be official unless the board approves it at its May 22 meeting.

If he’s approved, Fleming, 30, would replace Ed Bowen, who last season coached the Artists to a 23-7 record, the Southern Section 2-A championship game and the Southern California Regional Division IV semifinals. Bowen, 57, resigned in April after coaching 13 seasons at the school.

Fleming, who coached the freshman team for two seasons and the junior varsity for the past two years, said he’s comfortable stepping in as head coach.

“This past year I had quite a bit of input with the team,” Fleming said. “It’s not like I’m stepping in new. I’ve been associated with all the kids in the program for the last four years. I have a good rapport with them.”

Fleming played basketball at Columbia River High in Vancouver, Wash. He also played two seasons at Napa Valley College and a year at Cal State Sacramento. He’s currently working on a Bachelor of Arts degree at Cal State Long Beach.