Emotional End for Diablo Coach

The end of Bill Smith’s 37-year tennis coaching career didn’t come as a surprise. Smith expected his overmatched Mission Viejo team to lose to second-seeded University in Irvine. But that didn’t mean Tuesday’s 17-1 farewell in the first round of the Southern Section Division II playoffs was any less emotional for Smith or his players.

Smith, 58, who will stay at the school as a teacher and freshman football coach, choked up as he huddled with his team before the match and his voice cracked a few times as he talked about how much he would miss his players and the game.

“The relationships with the kids is what I’ll miss,” said Smith, who spent 19 of those 37 years as the Diablos’ boys’ tennis coach. “If you’re doing it for any other reason, you ought to have your head examined.

“I told my kids to go out and battle today. I knew we were up against it. I’d have rather played somebody else.”

University Coach Josh Davis, who is also leaving high school tennis after the season, said he felt bad about sending Smith into retirement.

“It’s a great loss for Orange County tennis to not have Bill Smith involved,” said Davis, whose Trojans (16-3) will meet Riverside North or Corona Centennial in the second round. “He was always the voice of reason and calm, and damn if his players weren’t the best-behaved kids around. They didn’t have much of a chance today, but they’re playing their butts off. That’s coaching.”

Senior Ali Nourbakash, the Diablos’ No. 1 singles player, would have liked to have made the score closer, but he lost his three sets to University senior Greg Biorkman, who has committed to UC Irvine, and the Trojans’ talented freshmen Aaron Yovan and Henry Mak. Nourbakash said he tried to forget Smith was retiring.

“If I thought about it too much I probably wouldn’t have been able to play,” Nourbakash said. “Coach Smith is one of the most incredible men I’ve ever known. To know he’s giving up something he loves and something that means so much to him, makes it kind of tough.

“He meant so much to me. He’s been there as a coach, as a friend and for guidance. I tried to give it my all. That’s all he’s ever asked of me and that’s the least he deserves.”

Smith had his best team last year, when the Diablos went 20-4 and reached the Division II semifinals before losing to Westlake Westlake Village. But he lost his top five players and this year’s team finished 9-11, his only team in the ‘90s that had a losing record.

“It’s a tough day, but I’m doing the right thing,” Smith said. “There’s just a lot of history.”