DJ Gay hired to ach at La Jolla Country Day - The San Diego Unn-Tribune

Contents:

• WDWARD HIR FORMER SUN VALLEY POLY ALL-CY GUARD DJ GAY AS S BOYS’ BASKETBALL ACH
• DJ GAY LEAVG LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL; NATNAL SEARCH IS UNRWAY FOR NEW BASKETBALL ACH
• PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: WDWARD WS BUT OF ACH DJ GAY
• DJ GAY HIRED TO ACH AT LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY
• D.J. GAY EVOLV OM BASKETBALL PLAYER TO ACH
• LJCDS WEL DJ GAY AS NEW HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
• WDWARD HIR FORMER SUN VALLEY POLY ALL-CY GUARD DJ GAY AS S BOYS' BASKETBALL ACH
• D.J.GAY
• DJ GAY’S YOUTH BASKETBALL PERSONAL TRAG
• D.J. GAY
• D.J.GAY
• D.J. GAY
• D.J. GAY

WDWARD HIR FORMER SUN VALLEY POLY ALL-CY GUARD DJ GAY AS S BOYS’ BASKETBALL ACH

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angel Tim) DJ Gay, who was an All-Cy guard at Sun Valley Poly 2007 and beme a standout player at San Diego State, has been hired as the new boys’ basketball ach at was head ach for two years at La Jolla Country Day, which reached the San Diego Sectn Divisn 1 champnship game last season.

DJ GAY LEAVG LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL; NATNAL SEARCH IS UNRWAY FOR NEW BASKETBALL ACH

”Gay’s ach at Poly, Brad Katz, now an assistant prcipal at Wtlake, said, “I went down to San Diego and saw him ach both travel ball and Country Day, ” Katz said. ”Gay, 33, will take over for Col Pfaff, who rigned to move his fay to Northern California.

Gay’s first task will be to make sure Wdward’s talented group of young players stay at Wdward.

PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: WDWARD WS BUT OF ACH DJ GAY

“Comg back home, ” Gay said.

DJ GAY HIRED TO ACH AT LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY

After jt two years, La Jolla Country Day School basketball ach DJ Gay is movg on to another school, and Country Day has embarked on a natnal search for a a note to the school muny, Gay stated that “after long nsiratn” he had cid to return to his native Los Angel to bee the head ach at the private Wdward School. “This was not an easy cisn, but ’s what’s bt for my fay, ” Gay wrote.

D.J. GAY EVOLV OM BASKETBALL PLAYER TO ACH

”Assistant ach Mike Riccuti has been promoted to terim head ach for the upg season while the private school looks for a permanent replacement for Gay.

LJCDS WEL DJ GAY AS NEW HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH

The school tends to have a permanent ach place for the 2023-24 Country Day’s ach search two years ago, after which the school chose Gay, there were more than 80 applints om across the untry.

” — DJ Gay Gay, a former San Diego State Universy pot guard, was hired May 2020 to replace Ryan Meier, who rigned after 14 COVID-19 panmic ma for a rough first year. Speakg wh the La Jolla Light ahead of the 2021 season, Gay said: “Wh COVID protols, we were gog to have gam and then not, we were gog to have a season, then we weren’t.

WDWARD HIR FORMER SUN VALLEY POLY ALL-CY GUARD DJ GAY AS S BOYS' BASKETBALL ACH

“To all of the stunt-athlet, thank you for all the effort and pri you have put to the program over the past two years, ” Gay wrote.

This is not an easy goodbye for me or the Gay fay. It was the strangt of achg buts for former Sun Valley Poly All-Cy guard DJ Gay on Tuday night. Moni, igned by 22 pots om sophomore guard Gav Hightower.

D.J.GAY

“We know ’s a game of ns, ” Gay said. “Gav has to learn he n’t let offense dictate how he plays, ” Gay said.

Herage Christian 88, Granada Hills 55: Sophomore Tae Simmons sred 27 pots for Herage Christian. La Jolla Country Day, lookg for a new boys basketball ach, got more than 80 applints om across the Torreys found the right man their backyard, namg former San Diego State standout DJ Gay to replace Ryan Meier, who rigned after 14 seasons.

DJ GAY’S YOUTH BASKETBALL PERSONAL TRAG

”After playg 140 gam for San Diego State om 2007-11, Gay played profsnally Europe before beg named head basketball ach at Victory Christian Amy Chula three seasons he led the Knights to a 46-35 rerd, cludg 18-10 2018-19. The Knights were 13-16 last season, but won three Cs League champnships unr Gay, gog 29-1 league play.

“As a player, I never wanted to be a high school ach, was never a passn, ” Gay said. “The Coastal League is no joke, ” Gay said.

D.J. GAY

”Gay replac Meier, who left postg a 226-186 rerd at the ’s teams won a pair of San Diego Sectn champnships. ” (Unn-Tribune) Gay was pta of the Aztecs his senr season, leadg SDSU to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, and he was named first-team played his high school ball at L.

D.J.GAY

Poly Sun addn to achg basketball, Gay will be a full-time physil tn teacher at LJCD. Gay played basketball for San Diego State (2007-11), he never gave a thought to when Victory Christian lled and asked if he might be terted guidg the boys team two years ago, he liked the then he had fished playg Europe and was nng a youth program the North County which, of urse, entailed achg. “Coachg is 10 tim more difficult than playg, ” said Gay, who guid the Victory Christian to the send round of the Divisn IV playoffs a year ago and is off to another wng season.

”Gay says he really wished he’d been a ltle more attentive to what his ach — Steve Fisher and Brian Dutcher and their assistants — were dog.

“I really never wanted to ach, this jt fell my lap, ” Gay said. ”Still, VC athletic director Don Heien said the last-mute cisn to see if Gay was terted spe havg a solid list of ndidat, end up beg heaven-sent. ”When the team’s star player, Larry Oldham III, heard the Gay was the mix for head ach, he did more than cross his fgers.

D.J. GAY

“Sce Coach (Gay) me, basketball has bee my passn. ”Gay sometim tak the urt to show his players thgs and Oldham said he immediately saw the athleticism. ”Gay’s goal for all his players is to help them get to the next level whatever that might be.

D.J. GAY

“I didn’t apply for posns like Mater Dei Catholic or Patrick Henry, ” said Gay. ”When he me back om Europe, Gay started the Bulldogs and had five teams wh players om send gra through high school. La Jolla Country Day School is exced to wele DJ Gay as our new head men’s basketball ach.

Coach Gay’s stellar reputatn the San Diego basketball muny, passn for the game, engagg personaly, stunt centered philosophy and experience as a player, ach and program builr mak him uniquely sued to lead Country Day’s program om our ltlt Torreys through our varsy team.

Coach Ryan Meier’s 14 years as head ach have been the most succsful program history (285 ws, 2 Open Divisn berths, 1 Coastal League Champnship, 2 CIF Champnships and the 2017-18 D3 State Champnship) and we are nfint that Coach Gay will build upon that tradn of excellence and gui Torrey Basketball to new heights.