Faculty Spotlight
MR. JIM HARRICK
Some remember Jim as the man who taught them to drive or should I say not to crash while driving, although he recalls many did. Others of us took his co-ed 7:15 P.E. class. I can still hear him taking roll in that slow southern drawl. Baaash, Conkrrrite, Corrrbitt, Craaane, Damiaaaano, Deeegan… With over 60 kids enrolled, the class was almost over by the time he finished roll. He left us for Utah State where from ’73-’77 he was an assistant basketball coach. Jim was also an assistant coach under Gary Cunningham at UCLA for two seasons, ‘77-‘79. His 1st collegiate stint as a head coach was at Pepperdine, aka the ‘Dine, where they won the conference championship 5 of the first 7 years he was there. They went to 4 NCAA tournaments, 2 NIT tournaments, and a conference playoff. Jim was named Conference Coach of the Year 4 times. In ‘88 he returned to UCLA starring in the lead roll. In 8 years, the Bruins went to 8 NCAA tournaments, and in ‘95 won their 11th Nat’l. Championship. Jim was named Nat’l. Coach of the Year. He is the 2nd winningest coach in UCLA history. Between 2000-2003 he coached at the University of Georgia where the Bulldogs went to 2 NCAA tournaments. After leaving Georgia, he worked as a scout for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and did some broadcasting for Fox Sports. He has helped develop basketball programs in China. In 2006 he coached the Bakersfield Jam, an NBA Expansion League. Sighting personal reasons, Jim resigned in 2007. He and his wife Sally attended the Mane Event gathering later that same year. Sadly Sally passed away on 11/20/09 of complications from scleroderma. Jim lives in Rancho Santa Margarita, belongs to the Dove Canyon Country Club, plays lots of golf and as suspected attends high school, college and pro basketball games as often as possible. Jim reflected back on his time at MHS. He felt it was there where he learned how to teach, laying a tremendous foundation to move on in education. He made lots of friends that he still keeps in touch with today and treasures the time he spent at good ‘ol MHS. As Jim might say, while at MHS he was “standing in tall corn”. OY!!!! Jim has 3 sons Monte, Jim Jr. and Glenn. Jim Jr. and Glenn were born while he was teaching at MHS. He has 3 beautiful daughters-in-law, Melanie, Amy, and Michele and he is terribly proud of the “Devine 9”, his 5 granddaughters and 4 grandsons, ages 15-3.
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Jim Harrick was born on 7/25/38 in Charleston, WV. He graduated from Morris Harvey College, now known as the University of Charleston. He taught Jr. High in Hawthorne for 5 years prior to coming to MHS in ’64 to teach English and to coach both JV basketball and JV baseball. In ’66 he became Varsity baseball coach and in ’69 he became the head basketball coach. In 4 years the team went 103-16. In ‘73 the Monarchs won 45 straight games and the team was named #1 High School team in America. He was also our Athletics Director and Head of the P.E. Dep’t.