Cleveland Puts Basketball Program in Escoto’s Hands

Standing on the sideline during a summer-league basketball game a week ago, Bort Escoto didn’t know whether to sit down, stand up or get out.

As the quick-fix, temporary coach at Cleveland High, Escoto had a gut feeling that if a permanent coach was hired, he would be tossed out like a grimy gym towel. Even Escoto’s job as the junior varsity coach was in jeopardy because the new coach might prefer to install assistants of his own.

Shaky ground, to be sure, but Escoto nonetheless said he felt he would still be around when the school year started.

Friday afternoon, that intuition proved correct when Escoto was given the full-time varsity job at Cleveland.

As Cleveland’s third coach in as many seasons, Escoto, 24, replaces Marc Paez, who two weeks ago resigned after one season. Paez cited, among other reasons, a wish to escape the parental pressures involved with the high-profile position. It is less likely that Escoto--who has been a Cleveland assistant for five seasons, including four under popular former Coach Bob Braswell--will encounter the same turbulence.

Like Braswell, who began coaching at Cleveland at age 18 and was named the varsity coach at 22, Escoto knows the territory. He attended Cleveland for two years before graduating from Granada Hills in 1984, then started coaching at Cleveland at age 19.

“He knows the system, he knows the kids, he knows the parents,” said Braswell, now an assistant at Cal State Long Beach. “That’s what made my transition easy when I took over (the varsity). When Marc came in from outside, it was difficult for him.”

Escoto, who has been hired in a walk-on capacity, is employed at the school as a noon aide, a three-hour position.

A variety of factors improved Escoto’s shot at the basketball position. Like Braswell, Paez was an English teacher and a member of a minority, two factors that made the position difficult for the Cleveland administration to fill. Moreover, budget cuts are expected within the L. A. Unified School District.

“I thought that with all the cuts, they might have to go to a walk-on,” Escoto said.

No full-time positions are expected to become available in Cleveland’s physical education department in the fall, which eliminated most credentialed coaches from consideration.

“Bort’s the man unless the district takes a drastic turn and allows us to hire a certificated position,” said Bob Kindseth, Cleveland’s administrator in charge of athletics.

However, Kindseth said Escoto was by no means a second choice.

“He knows the kids, they respect him and they’ve obviously played well for him over the past few games,” Kindseth said, referring to Cleveland’s berth in the round of 16 of the L.A. Games competition, which continues today. “He was with Braswell and he has that Braswell philosophy.”

Players were relieved to hear that Escoto had been hired.

“The whole team is happy with Coach Escoto, we’re very comfortable playing for him,” said forward Brandon Martin, who two seasons ago was the North Valley League junior varsity MVP under Escoto. “We feel we can win a lot of ballgames playing for him.”

Escoto promised a return to the old Cleveland style, which promised, “Our mission is transition.”

“I see a lot more man-to-man pressure, a lot more running, a lot more discipline,” Escoto said. “Just like it used to be.”