Ventura Has Mircetic, State-of-the-Art Coach

Ned Mircetic knows the drill better than most.

Mircetic, in his 10th season coaching the Ventura College women’s basketball team, has another superb team playing this weekend in the state championships at San Joaquin Delta College and University of the Pacific.

It is his seventh trip to the Final Eight and his second chance to win the title with an undefeated team.

The Pirates, ranked No. 1 in the state, are 36-0 after a 54-50 quarterfinal victory over Solano on Thursday night. That makes Mircetic 302-39 at Ventura.

Some of the most important victories have come at the state championships, in places like San Jose, Irvine, Costa Mesa and even Ventura when the school hosted the tournament in 1993.

The Pirates won state titles in 1996 and ’97 and finished second in each of the last two tournaments. The ’96 team was 35-0.

But as much as those championships mean to Mircetic, what the Pirates accomplished last season ranks among his fondest tournament memories.

“It might have been the most gratifying,” Mircetic said. “We weren’t that good as individuals, but the last three weeks of the season and in the playoffs we became a great team. The kids just poured their hearts out.

“If you define success by giving of yourself, that team was very successful.”

Mircetic doesn’t downplay winning, but he said the state championships should be enjoyed for more than just that goal.

“It’s an opportunity to compete at a high level and that’s a wonderful thing,” Mircetic said. “It’s a chance to see how you measure up against the best. To me, that’s much more important.

“It’s a time when most of the coaches are here and you get together with them and share stories. It’s a festive atmosphere.”

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Coach Doug Michelson of the Valley men’s team is another Final Eight veteran . . . of the women’s tournament.

Michelson made his first appearance coaching a men’s team in the state championships Thursday, when the Monarchs defeated Fresno City, 81-75.

As usual, the veteran coach was low key before the game.

“If I was half as excited as the players, I wouldn’t be able to operate,” Michelson said.

Michelson coached the Valley women’s team in four Final Eight appearances, including second-place finishes in 1989 and ’91.

Valley hosted the women’s tournament each of those years.

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After the semifinals today, the women’s tournament switches from San Joaquin Delta to Pacific for the final Saturday night.

The tournament will be held at the same sites next year and then move for two years to Southern California locations.