Newport Harbor hires Ciarelli as boys’ volleyball coach

When Rocky Ciarelli retired from a storied 24-year volleyball coaching career at his alma mater Huntington Beach High in 2008, he said he never had any plans to return to the high school game. It took a friend to lure him back, but not with the Oilers.

Ciarelli has been hired as the Newport Harbor boys’ volleyball coach, pending expected official approval from the Newport-Mesa School District, which should come early next week, Principal Sean Boulton said Friday.

Ciarelli is good friends with Newport Harbor girls’ volleyball coach Dan Glenn, who oversees the boys’ and girls’ volleyball programs.

Boulton said he phoned Ciarelli on Friday and asked the coach if he was ready to be a Sailor. Ciarelli didn’t hesitate and said, “Absolutely.” He wanted to join his friend and help build Newport Harbor into a winner, once again.

“Let’s face it,” Ciarelli said. “Newport Harbor has to be the only school I would think about doing this. This is more about Danny and having a great friendship more than anything else.”

Glenn was on the interview panel, and he, just as many, became excited when Ciarelli applied for the job.

At Huntington, Ciarelli won three Southern Section championships (boys in 1993 and ‘94, girls in ‘96) and a girls’ state title in 1996.

“I’m really excited,” Glenn said of the hire. “The kids are very lucky and fortunate. There were a lot of good candidates. But you think about the quality of a coach we have now, I’m just really excited. It’s good for Newport.”

After retiring from HB, where he was also a teacher, Ciarelli worked as a volunteer assistant coach for the USC men’s volleyball team. His son, Tony, was a standout player for the Trojans.

The elder Ciarelli was later a volunteer coach with the U.S. men’s national team and coached for the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club.

“We are all very excited,” Boulton said. “He’s got the credentials. Boys’ volleyball at Newport Harbor is a great program. He works well with Dan. He understands our school culture and he understands Newport Harbor.”

Ciarelli’s friendship with Glenn dates back to their high school days, as both attended Huntington Beach. Glenn had to have a strong respect for Ciarelli because he was Glenn’s club coach when Glenn was 18.

“Dan Glenn and I started coaching at Edison in 1982,” Ciarelli said. “He talked to me about [the Newport Harbor boys’ volleyball coach job opening]. We came in together and now maybe we’ll go out together.”

Ciarelli certainly has ties to Newport Harbor, in addition to Glenn. Ciarelli’s brother, Tony, is the longtime defensive coordinator for the football team and throws coach for the track and field team at Newport Harbor. Also Rocky Ciarelli’s wife, Cammy, is the sister of Evan Chalmers, the baseball coach at Newport Harbor, where he also teaches.

Even though Ciarelli has not been coaching high school volleyball since 2008, he said he still followed the local teams, especially Huntington Beach, which has been highly successful the past two years.

The Oilers, who play in the Sunset League with the Sailors, went 40-0 last season, a school record. HB also has a school-best win streak of 64 and has won two CIF Southern Section Division 1 titles to go with regional championships.

Ciarelli was asked if there is the potential for that type of success at Newport Harbor.

“I don’t really know much about the talent at Newport Harbor. I’m trying to find out what’s going on,” Ciarelli said. “Newport has had a great program. But just like any public school, you’re going to go through some peaks and valleys and it depends on what kind of kids you get at the school. Newport has a really great tradition in volleyball so I would expect that we will be good the next four or five years.”

Ciarelli takes over for Bryan Cottriel, who stepped down as coach after one season with the Sailors. Boulton announced that move in August, but declined to explain because of personnel issues. Cottriel, now an assistant with the NHHS girls’ volleyball team, said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

The Sailors went 10-19 last year and missed the playoffs after losing a Sunset League playoff tiebreaker against Edison in five sets.