After Three Seasons, Bangs Returns to Woodbridge

Eric Bangs, who guided Woodbridge High to consecutive state basketball final appearances and its first state title, has returned to coach the Warrior girls’ basketball team, he said Thursday.

Bangs left Woodbridge in May of 1995 after the state championship season to become an assistant at Irvine Valley College. He was the Lasers’ head coach last season.

Bangs, who works in Woodbridge’s special education department, compiled a 296-69 record in his first 12 seasons at the high school. Tracy Roberts, the school’s golf coach, will join Bangs as associate coach.

Roberts coached with Bangs at Woodbridge and Irvine Valley and was an interim coach at Woodbridge through the summer of 1995 before Pat Quinn was hired.

Quinn coached three seasons and won the school’s third consecutive Southern Section title and a second consecutive state title in 1996. Quinn was not rehired after Woodbridge failed to win a league title last season for the first time this decade.

Irvine Valley went 24-8 and advanced to the third round of the Southern California playoffs under Bangs last season.

“It will be nice being under one roof again,” Bangs said. “It was a great three years at Irvine Valley. But the opportunity came up at Woodbridge again and we’re excited to be back.”

Former Woodbridge player Kim Turi (formerly Dean) also will join the staff, Bangs said. Turi, a 1990 graduate, also works in the school’s special education department.