OCC's Doucette, Saddleback's McCarthy Tabbed Conference Coaches of the Year

The Saddleback baseball program was back in the news this week as the Orange Empire Conference named Saddleback baseball coach Sommer McCartney the Male Sport Coach-of-the-Year for the 2023-24 calendar year.  McCartney guided the Bobcats to the state title in May.

McCartney was fresh off winning the national coach-of-the-year honor handed out by the American Baseball Coaches Association and now has another award to place in what is quickly becoming a cluttered trophy case. 

McCartney guided the Bobcats to the second state title in program history, finishing 34-17 overall.  Saddleback won nine of its final 10 playoff games, knocking off four programs that were seeded equal or higher in their respective regions in the final three weeks of the season. 

McCartney is now 351-184 in his 13 seasons as the head coach, winning three Orange Empire Conference titles and one state championship. 

Release by Brad Hoiseth, Saddleback 

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Orange Coast College women's basketball coach, Sammy Doucette, was named the 2023-24 Orange Empire Conference John Altobelli Coach of the Year for all women's sports, as voted on by each conference school at the 2024 Fall OEC Meetings.

"It's really special to be recognized and it's not something I take for granted," Doucette said. "I'm grateful for everyone that voted throughout the OEC, and I'm grateful for my team. Coaches don't get COY nods without our players, so in my book, I may be the Coach of the Year, but it's only because I coached the team of the year."

Doucette, who led the Pirates to their first state championship in 20 years during the 2002-03 season, went back-to-back in 2023-24, taking a nearly brand-new team back to the top of the mountain with a 30-3 record. It was the first back-to-back state champion in women's basketball since Mt. San Antonio accomplished the feat in 2016 and again in 2017.

Last year, Coast not only won the state championship, the Pirates also went a perfect 14-0 in the always-tough Orange Empire Conference for the first time since the 2006-07 season. In the State Finals, the Pirates pulled out a pair of tough wins in the quarterfinals (60-56 over San Joaquin Delta and 62-55 over Moorpark) before rolling through Glendale, 71-60, to win the championship.  

"Couldn't be more proud of Sammy and what she's done for this program," OCC Athletics Director Jason Kehler said. "This recognition is a testament to the hard work that her and the team have put in to earn back-to-back state championships. It's nice to see Sammy finally get recognized for what she's been able to accomplish with our women's basketball program in such a short time."

Heading into her fifth full season of competition, Doucette is 84-27 (.756 winning percentage). In addition to her two state titles, she has also won two Orange Empire Conference titles and has been named the OEC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year in each of the past two seasons. 

Release by Tony Altobelli, Orange Coast