CdM finalizes Hitchens hire

Jason Hitchens knew only a couple of the players names at Corona del Mar High last week.

Now he’ll have to learn a whole lot of names.

Hitchens accepted the position to become the Sea Kings’ next football coach Wednesday afternoon at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District office, Laura Boss, director of district communications, said.

Hitchens’ signing ended an arduous four months with those involved with the program. The Sea Kings now have their on-campus leader before spring practice starts next month.

Hitchens, 46, comes in with strong credentials. During his time at St. Margaret’s and El Modena, he reached high levels of success.

Hitchens, a history teacher, won a CIF Southern Section Northeast Division championship during his one-year stint at St. Margaret’s in 2006. He led El Modena to three league titles from 1998-2003.

Hitchens, a defensive coordinator last season at Villa Park, replaces Dick Freeman, who was fired in December after accumulating a 67-69-2 overall record during 12-plus seasons.

Only once did Freeman guide the Sea Kings to a league crown, which they shared in 1999.

It took CdM some time to find a coach, with Principal Fal Asrani having to go out of the country due to personal reasons in the beginning of the selection process in January and then Athletic Director Paul Orris undergoing brain aneurysm surgery in February. During the search, Orris said two candidates turned the job down due to the uncertainty of a teaching position at CdM and family issues.

The latest issue involved a contract dispute between Hitchens and the district regarding Hitchens’ number of teaching years the district planned to credit him, delaying Hitchens from signing on Friday.

But Hitchens said before the discrepancy was resolved Wednesday that there’s plenty of time to get acquainted with a new program and turning it around after CdM went 4-5 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

“It’s still April,” Hitchens said. “The last time I got a late start I was at St. Margaret’s. We only had seven days of spring football practice. Everyone knows how that affected us. We went undefeated and won a CIF championship.”

If that happens next season, Jason Hitchens’ name will forever be remembered by CdM supporters.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].