Campbell Hall Hires Palarz as Basketball Coach

Jon Palarz, a former player and assistant coach at Harvard High, has been hired to coach the boys’ basketball team at Campbell Hall.

Palarz, 30, has coached for the past two seasons at Francis Parker High in Chicago. He coached the freshman and junior-varsity teams at Harvard in 1986-87 and 1988-89 and had a combined record of 35-4.

Parker was 9-15 last season.

Palarz, who will teach history, was one of eight to 10 candidates interviewed for the position, Athletic Director Kirk Duncan said.

Duncan said that dozens of coaches had applied for the position. Included among the applicants was former UCLA player Dave Immel, who has coached several Campbell Hall players in summer-league play.

Palarz should not have much trouble in making the transition. Five starters will return this fall for the Vikings, who finished 24-5 and advanced to the state playoffs. Included among returning players are Austin McKellar, a point guard who was selected to The Times’ All-Valley second team, and 6-foot-10 center Alex Lopez.

“I’ve never seen the kids, I know of them only by reputation,” Palarz said. “I hope they’re ready to play basketball.”

Palarz has spent the past few summers as a coach at high school instructional basketball camps at several major universities. He said he will coach at the Kentucky camp in June.

Former Coach Joe Jackson, who in April was relieved of his position as a coach and teacher for unspecified reasons, said Friday that he is still seeking reinstatement through an attorney.