Throughout the years, the Coronado High School boys’ basketball team has experienced the high highs of a 21-8 record in 2022-2023, and the low lows of going 4-23 the year prior. This year, the team has posted a 12-16 record as of Feb. 16.
Countless players have passed through the program, but the team has always had one constant: Coach Anthony Ott, who has coached at Coronado since 2021.
Ott is a basketball lifer, citing his affiliation with the sport going all the way back to when he was 4 years old. He played all throughout high school and into college, where he says he played at Marymount College, a small junior college in Los Angeles now called Marymount California University.
“That’s when my injury happened,” he said. “I played basketball and lacrosse and had a career-ending injury to my shoulder. I started coaching my younger cousin’s team and formed a travel ball AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team. We won a few championships and that transitioned into me coaching high school.”
Ott said he fell in love with coaching. He has been coaching for 16 years total — at the high school level, college level, and he said he has also worked a few camps for the San Antonio Spurs.
Now, as the man in charge of the Coronado High School boys’ basketball program, Ott says the goal is simple: win the big one.
“I’ve had aspirations to coach past high school basketball my entire coaching career. But I will not even consider it until I bring a CIF championship to my alma mater,” Ott said. “At this point in my life, it sounds more rewarding to turn Coronado into a basketball powerhouse and ultimately make San Diego a destination city for all things basketball.”
The Islanders qualified for a playoff berth this season against Imperial High School on Feb. 18. Ott did not hesitate to praise his guys for their efforts on and off the court.Â
“They work hard. The reason they work so hard is because they like each other. This team has great camaraderie,” Ott said. “They’re a passionate group and they’re not afraid to speak up and hold each other and themselves accountable.”
This camaraderie is not something that has sprouted up by chance. Ott has carefully cultivated a culture of togetherness over his tenure with the team.
“Communication is another thing I focus on. It is important for each team to have transparent communication and consistent communication,” he said.
In addition to the intangible aspect of coaching, Coach Ott says he evaluates the team prior to each season and focuses on fundamentals, with defense and shooting taking priority most years.
“Footwork comes with that,” Ott explained. “In order to play proper defense and be a consistent shooter, footwork has to be an integral part of our coaching.”
As the 2024-2025 campaign comes to a close, Ott said winning is not the only reason why he does what he does.
“Hard work, discipline, communication, staying even keeled – that all helped me in my life,” Ott explained. “I see how that has impacted the players I have coached and it is rewarding to be a small part of helping these boys become men.”
