Men’s soccer: OCC’s Hayes Coach of the Year

COSTA MESA - Assistants Kevin Smith and Pat Callaghan, as well as a

team that seems to improve every day, are some of the reasons the Orange

Empire Conference named Orange Coast College’s Laird Hayes Coach of the

Year in men’s soccer Monday.

OCC, which won in its first playoff appearance in five years Tuesday,

finished 3-14-2 last year. The Pirates quintupled that victory output

this season with a 15-3-4 record, including a second-place conference

finish and putting and end to Santa Ana’s 70-game winning streak on Nov.

6.

Hayes, in his 14th season, credits Smith and Callaghan for the award.

Last year at midseason, Hayes appointed the two to carry out most of the

coaching duties.

When Hayes isn’t directing the Pirates’ soccer team, he works as an

NFL official.

Smith and Callaghan coached at Huntington Beach High last year and

recruited nine of OCC’s 20 players from the Sunset League.

Callaghan will coach the boys team at Corona del Mar, his alma mater,

this year. He was also on OCC’s 1989 state championship team.

“They deserve all the credit,” Hayes said. “I’m more of the

manager-type, while they do all the coaching.”

-- by Steve Virgen