Whitacre to Coach at Costa Mesa

Len Whitacre, who had a successful two-year run at Villa Park High, accepted the girls’ basketball coaching position at Costa Mesa, the school announced Friday.

Whitacre compiled a 35-11 record with the Spartans after the program had gone 19-61 the previous four seasons. He takes over a program that played for the 1993 State championship and has gone 47-12 the last two years.

Whitacre said one reason he took the job was its proximity to his home in San Juan Capistrano and his business in Laguna Hills. Had he been able to sell his home--it was on the market for 18 months--he would have moved closer to Villa Park.

“It has been so difficult to coach, be a father of six children, run a business and drive 1 1/2 hours a day,” Whitacre said. “This cuts my drive in half. That was a major issue.”