June 1, 2007

Coaches mix rivalry with friendship
BY JANIS CARR
The Orange County Register

When Cal State Fullerton was struggling, having dropped a series to UC Riverside, UC Irvine coach Dave Serrano was worried.

"What's going on with Fullerton?" he asked.

A few days later, Long Beach State coach Mike Weathers had a similar question. "How's George?"

The concern was genuine, not an elbow-jabbed-in-the-sides remark. George Horton, Weathers and Serrano are members of a unique coaching triumvirate in which respect and competitiveness co-exist with friendship and rivalry. And it all happens within a 25-mile radius.

"I think there is more respect among the three of us because of the proximity of the schools," Horton said. "And we play each other a number of times, so we are familiar with each other's programs. Also we can read about them all the time in the papers, so we know what's going on with them."

The respect, however, goes deeper than that. The three area Division I coaches have, at one time or another, coached or played on the same teams. All three will be leading their respective teams into the NCAA Regionals, which begin today.

Serrano, before taking the coaching job at Irvine, served as pitching coach to Horton's Titans for eight seasons. He was an important part of Fullerton's run to the 2004 College World Series title and developed many of Fullerton's arms. He also played at Cerritos College when Horton was a Falcons assistant.

"I think of Dave Serrano as a brother or he might see me as a second dad," Horton said. "I'm hoping that I don't do anything that makes that go away."

That friendship was tested recently when Horton made a remark during the Fullerton-Irvine series. It was a remark made in what Horton said was the "heat of the battle" and could have upset another coach.

"We're all competitive," Serrano said. "But nothing is going to come between our relationships. I know that George is a competitive guy. When we were at Cerritos, we would play a lot of racquetball, and he was so competitive even in that."

Who would win?

"George would because he's older and cheats a lot," Serrano said jokingly.

Serrano added that he understood Horton's unflattering shot at the Anteaters.

"I want to beat him to get to that level, and he wants to beat me because I'm his pupil. I've known George since I've been 18 years old, that's 24 of my 42 years, and he's done a lot for my coaching career. I'm competitive and he's competitive, but when it's all said and done, the emotions and rivalry all goes away quickly."

The tie between Horton and Weathers is tethered by former Long Beach State coach Dave Snow. Snow and Weathers were teammates at Cerritos College and later were reunited at Long Beach State, where Weathers served as an assistant for eight seasons before taking over for Snow, who retired after the 2001 season.

Horton first encountered Weathers on the recruiting trail when both were assistants at their respective schools. Every season they butted heads over plays, and every off-season they butted heads over players.

"Our friendship has grown out of the respect I have for him," Weathers said of Horton. "He has accomplished so much. I'm older, but he has gotten his program to the top and kept it there, winning a national title.

"I certainly respect how he conducts himself and his program."

The two are such good friends that they were on the phone with each other three days before Long Beach traveled to Goodwin Field for their annual end-of-the-year Big West series.

Weathers and Serrano have gotten to know each other from more of an arm's length. It's only been since Serrano took over as Anteaters head coach in 2005 that the two have matched coaching wits, but they are members of this unusual admiration society.

"It's like a brotherhood," Serrano said. "I think it's coincidental that we're all friends, but we have the same background and are all looking for ways to improve our programs and win."

Connect the dots between Irvine, Fullerton and Long Beach and there's a line that keeps going back to Cerritos College, where all three coaches played and Horton coached. No matter how long their stay at the junior college, each was influenced by former Cerritos coach Wally Kincaid, and the only evidence needed is how they run their programs.

"Wally taught me what I'm now preaching to my team," Serrano said.

Kincaid preached fundamentals, mechanics and discipline, according to Don Sneddon, Santa Ana College coach and former Cerritos player.

"You look at all three of those guys and they understand the game, they appreciate the game and they know the game," Sneddon said. "That's what was instilled in us as players.

"Wally taught by expectations, not intimidation. He just expected you to do things, like bunting. If you didn't learn how to bunt, you didn't play. So we've all tried to emulate that skill Wally had. … He wrote the book on baseball."
A book read, and re-read, and shared by these three coaches.