After an extensive interviewing process drawn from a pool of national caliber candidates, Culver City High School is has hired Reggie Morris Jr. as its new basketball coach.

An assistant at Division I Loyola Marymount the past year, he previously led Redondo Beach High, St. Bernard High and Leuzinger High to three CIF championships and one State Title over the course of 14 years.

Coach Morris, who developed NBA superstars such as Russell Westbrook and Dorell Wright in high school, is excited about joining the Culver City family.

“This is a school that’s great at everything – academics, athletics, the arts,” he said.

“It is amazing how the community rallies around its schools to ensure that every program is outstanding.”

Coach Morris, who lives in nearby Silicon Beach, has a history of sending his high school student-athletes to top tier colleges across the nation after they graduate from high school. UConn, Xavier, St. John’s University, Fresno State, Arizona State and San Diego State are all recipients of Coach Morris’s players.

A believer in more than just x’s and o’s, Coach Morris is hoping to build a foundation for sustained student accomplishment at Culver High.

“My proudest moments are when former players come back onto campus just to say, ‘hi,’” he said.

Relationships matter to him.

Mr. Maleman may be contacted at gmaleman@aol.com