Though he will not meet his players in person for at least a few weeks, Angel Ramirez has been named head coach of San Marino High School’s girls’ varsity volleyball team.
“I am excited to start a new chapter in my volleyball career,” Ramirez said this week by phone. “We are working on getting things planned out during this very tough time.”
Ramirez comes to SMHS with a coaching background at the club, high school and college environments. In addition, he has worked at various camps across Southern California.
After attending San Gabriel Academy and playing volleyball at Garfield High School, Ramirez started coaching at his alma mater in 2005. Through the years, Ramirez has worked at various high schools, including Campbell Hall, Los Altos, Whittier, South Hills and La Salle. While at those schools, he has served in various capacities that have included lower level and assistant coaching positions.
At the college level, Ramirez assisted the women’s teams at East Los Angeles College and Pasadena City College. He also has worked at Starlings Volleyball Club, Heights Volleyball Club and Santa Monica Beach Club Girls’ Volleyball, but most of coach Ramirez’s club experience has been at Forza 1 West volleyball club, where he worked as a head and assistant coach since 2014. He also worked for a time at the Nike Volleyball Camp and the San Gabriel Valley volleyball all-star game for girls and boys.
“I have received a very warm welcome here,” said Ramirez. “I have been meeting virtually with the team and going over our workouts. But I am looking forward to returning to in-person volleyball, which I hope will be in a couple of months.”
Under the CIF’s new format, the sport of girls’ volleyball will maintain its traditional status as a fall sport, although it is not slated to begin on Dec. 19. The CIF has moved boys’ volleyball to the fall sports season from its usual berth in the spring, which will pose challenges for gym time and the attention of many coaches, who participate in both the boys’ and girls’ games.
“San Marino is my priority,” said Ramirez, who up until this year has been an assistant in boys’ high school volleyball, as well.
Ramirez replaces Joseph Rios, who in 2018 led the Lady Titans to their first Rio Hondo League championship in more than 20 years while advancing to the CIF quarterfinals.
“San Marino is excited to bring aboard someone who has the vast experience and knowledge of volleyball that coach Ramirez has,” said David Irie, SMHS’s director of athletics.
