Krikorian to step down as Costa Mesa boys’ basketball coach

Dan Krikorian will resign as Costa Mesa High boys’ basketball coach to become the top assistant men’s basketball coach at Chapman University, Costa Mesa High announced in a press release Saturday.

Mike Molina, the CMHS junior varsity coach and a former player, will be the varsity coach on an interim basis.

Krikorian, a former Costa Mesa standout, will be the Chapman “Head Assistant Coach,” according to the release. His resignation is effective Tuesday.

He had left Costa Mesa as an assistant coach last year to be a part of the Chapman staff, but returned to be head coach of the Mustangs after Bryan Rice left to become a full-time teacher at Tustin.

Krikorian played college basketball at Chapman.

Krikorian, also a musician who wrote a special theme song for the City of Costa Mesa, has spent 10 years as both player and coach at CMHS, the release said.

“Costa Mesa is home to some of the kindest, most intelligent, hard-working people one could hope to find and I will deeply miss working with them on a daily basis,” Krikorian said in the release.

The CMHS athletic department will work with Coach Molina to fill out the rest of his staff and support him during this interim period, the release said.

Last year, Costa Mesa went 10-17, 5-5 in the Orange Coast League, earning a share of third place and a berth in the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoffs.

— Steve Virgen