Tom Tarantino and Bob McHeffey, two of the most respected basketball coaches in San Diego County, are retiring while El Capitan High has named Scott Reed its boys varsity basketball coach.
The highly decorated Reed is a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major, who served four combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and was awarded a Bronze Star and a Legion of Merit.
The Mariners had 10 losing seasons in a row, going 77-172 over that period, before Reed’s 2019-20 team went 19-11. The Mariners were 15-8 in 2020-21.“I’m fine now and ready to get back to it,” Reed said. “I’ve talked with the players at El Cap, and I’m excited to coach them and earn their respect.”Married to a former Morse High cheerleader, he retired six years ago after 24 years in the Army and moved to San Diego at her prompting.
He ranks third all time in career wins among San Diego County coaches behind Ray Johnson and John Singer .