After 16 years with the Campolindo High School baseball program, head coach Max Luckhurst resigned on Aug. 22.
"I just felt like I needed to make a change," said Luckhurst. "It was time for me to turn the program over to someone else." He did not elaborate, saying that he felt uncomfortable drawing attention from the team onto himself. Luckhurst confirmed that he is not leaving to take another coaching position; he will remain at the school as an instructional assistant in the special education department.
"It's a blow to our program," said athletic director Tom Renno. "You talk about successful. Max ran one of the most successful programs in California."
In his 14 years as head coach, Luckhurst's Cougars won four North Coast Section II championships. The team also won a title in 2000 while he was assistant coach.
Luckhurst noted that to date, 42 of his players went on to play college baseball, including 19 players awarded college scholarships. Two players made it to the major leagues: Jeff Stevens, who pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 2009, and Aaron Poreda, on the Texas Rangers' current 40-man roster.
"I was really sorry to hear this," said Poreda. "Max was a class act. He brought us up from nothing, and he taught us how to be good teammates. He turned even the tedium of our conditioning drills into team bonding events."
UC Berkeley's Matt Ladrech, who pitched Campolindo to its 2012 and 2013 championships, remembered Luckhurst as a mentor. "He wasn't just a coach," he said. "Max always looked after us, and it was great to always have him available on campus."
"We were fortunate to have him," said Campolindo principal John Walker. "Max did an outstanding job of developing teams and players of great character. He'll continue to fill that important role with us in special education."
"I just felt like I needed to make a change," said Luckhurst. "It was time for me to turn the program over to someone else." He did not elaborate, saying that he felt uncomfortable drawing attention from the team onto himself. Luckhurst confirmed that he is not leaving to take another coaching position; he will remain at the school as an instructional assistant in the special education department.
"It's a blow to our program," said athletic director Tom Renno. "You talk about successful. Max ran one of the most successful programs in California."
In his 14 years as head coach, Luckhurst's Cougars won four North Coast Section II championships. The team also won a title in 2000 while he was assistant coach.
Luckhurst noted that to date, 42 of his players went on to play college baseball, including 19 players awarded college scholarships. Two players made it to the major leagues: Jeff Stevens, who pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 2009, and Aaron Poreda, on the Texas Rangers' current 40-man roster.
"I was really sorry to hear this," said Poreda. "Max was a class act. He brought us up from nothing, and he taught us how to be good teammates. He turned even the tedium of our conditioning drills into team bonding events."
UC Berkeley's Matt Ladrech, who pitched Campolindo to its 2012 and 2013 championships, remembered Luckhurst as a mentor. "He wasn't just a coach," he said. "Max always looked after us, and it was great to always have him available on campus."
"We were fortunate to have him," said Campolindo principal John Walker. "Max did an outstanding job of developing teams and players of great character. He'll continue to fill that important role with us in special education."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA