Dan Marshall resigns as girls varsity coach

Ramona High School’s girls varsity basketball coach, Dan Marshall, has resigned.

Marshall has held the post for the past 15 years. He served as the junior varsity coach one year before taking over as head coach. Marshall was the winningest active coach on the Bulldog staff.His record was 305-131. He won six league titles and his team went to the CIF semi-finals in 2003 and advanced to the state playoffs. His teams went to the CIF playoffs every year during his tenure.

Marshall made it clear that he was resigning but not retiring.

“I am sure that I will get back into coaching in the future,” he said. “I have had offers to coach at the college level in the past and I might do some scouting for some college team.

“I truly believe that I am leaving the program in good shape. Girls basketball at all levels in Ramona is in good shape from the fourth grade on up. OPMS had an undefeated seventh grade team. The program is not in debt and we are up for new uniforms next season.”

Last season Marshall lost most of his staff due to cutbacks and retirements. Longtime coach and former athletic director Joe Bess retired. Bess had been Marshall’s assistant varsity coach for the past four years.

“Losing Kylie Harris also hurt,” said Marshall. “Kylie was all that one could ask for as a lower division coach. She was a former player and she knows our system. She was an on-campus math teacher. She was an excellent role model for female athletes and she above all is an awesome coach.”

For awhile it appeared that Marshall would lose volunteer assistant coach Erin O’Connor, but O’Connor has been hired as a part time teacher. She was offered a head coaching job at a school in Ramona High’s league but will be returning to RHS. The program also lost a stipend for a varsity assistant coach.

“I am grateful for the privilege of being the girls’ basketball coach,” said Marshall. “All that was accomplished was a team effort. I had great assistants. The community was great and supported the program. The parents were very supportive.

“I am proudest of the student/athletes. They have worked in the mornings in the summer. They have put in the time and effort that made the program what it is. We don’t have a P.E. class like most of our opponents, but we get the job done and put in the time.”

In addition to his coaching abilities, Marshall was honored as the Ramona Unified School District Teacher of the Year for 2009 and is up for county and state honors.

No successor has been named. The front runner appears to be Erin O’Connor.

“It would be great if the program could have an on-campus coach,” said Marshall. “A lot of our success last season was due to the fact that we had four on-campus coaches on the staff.”

At one time during Marshall’s tenure, every team in the program had an on-campus coach. RUSD has had trouble lately filling coaching positions with teacher/coaches.

Marshall set the bar very high and earned the respect of his players, the school, the community and the county. He served as the league representative and on several CIF committees. His record speaks for itself.