CdM football Coach Dan O’Shea steps down to spend more time with his family

Corona del Mar’s Dan O’Shea coaches during a game this past season. (Photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).

Associate head coach Kevin Hettig named as the replacement.

Corona del Mar High School football coach Dan O’Shea resigned after eight seasons Wednesday to spend more time with his family, according to CdM Athletic Director Brian Walsh.

CdM was a consistent winner under O’Shea, finishing 9-4 and advancing to the semifinal round of the CIF Division 3 playoffs this past season before losing to Yorba Linda the eventual champion, 51-20. CdM won the CIF Division 3 title in 2019, defeating Grace Brethren. Then, the Sea Kings went on to capture the state title to finish a 16-0 season.

According to a release from CdM, O’Shea is “stepping down to pursue other opportunities that will provide him with more time to spend with his family.”

O’Shea often said his job was not just about winning, but about building the character of players for beyond football.

Associate head coach Kevin Hettig has been named to replace O’Shea, who has two boys, ages 5 and 7, who have often been at the games with him.

“The decision was an extremely difficult one for me, but one that had to be made for the overall well-being of my family,” said O’Shea in the release. “Corona del Mar High School administration could not have selected a finer coach and person than Kevin Hettig.”

O’Shea provided more information later on Wednesday in text messages to OC Sports Zone.

“My wife lost her dad a couple weeks ago and I’ve been in Santa Cruz until today,” he said.

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O’Shea said the service for his father-in-law was the “most amazing service I’ve ever been to. He was one helluva a man. Kevin and I spent the day meeting with the team and staff at CdM. It went incredibly well.”

O’Shea added that he was returning to Santa Cruz to be with his wife and family.

He also said that the focus now should be on Hettig.

“We have always run this program together … .it is no time to highlight an individual of the past as we have carefully planned to have everyone at CdM focus on the future under Kevin Hettig,” he said.

He added that his two boys are “anxious to see dada more.”

Walsh said officials are excited to have Hettig, who has been associate head coach since 2015, taking over.

“We are so excited to have Kevin take over at the helm of our football program. He has been such an integral part of this program’s success and is well equipped to take on this new role,” he said.

“We are confident that he will continue to have a profound impact on the growth and development of our student athletes and relentlessly look for ways to raise the expectations for Sea King football.”

“I am going to miss working with Dan O’Shea,” Hettig said in the release. “Not only because of his great coaching ability, but because he is one of my best friends in the world. One of the things I value most about Dan is that he puts family first, and I couldn’t be happier for him.

“CdM is the greatest school at which to coach. The kids are focused and hardworking,
the parental and community support unparalleled. We have a great nucleus of returning players and some great up and coming talent.”

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com