Foothill assistant Gary Sully hopes to cap memorable career with one more victory

Gary Sully will be coaching in his final game Saturday. (Photo courtesy Foothill boys basketball).

Foothill High School boys basketball players, coaches and fans are looking forward to Saturday’s CIF State Division II final against Elk Grove in Sacramento, which has added significance for long-time assistant coach Gary Sully.

Sully, after 10 years spanning three coaching staffs at Foothill, said he plans to retire from coaching and would like one more win to cap his memorable career.

He has been a popular assistant among players and coaches at Foothill which is trying to bring home its first state title.

“I sure have enjoyed mentoring, teaching and coaching the boys along the way,” Sully said this week. “I always speak to them about basketball and their life after. I have cherished every minute with the boys. Extra special is being able to coach mostly at my alma mater.”

Sully has held numerous coaching positions at Foothill. He was the JV coach at Foothill for three years, leading his teams to a league championship each season and an overall 89-10 record. Sully was also a varsity assistant at Brethren Christian, helping the team, which reached the semifinal round of the CIF playoff in 2012, finish 26-4.

He attended Foothill from 1973 to 1977 and received numerous letters in football and basketball. Sully has interests outside of basketball as a licensed realtor who owns and operates the Sully Group, a real estate company in Tustin.

But he’s been able to find time to be a key part of Coach Yousof Etemadi’s Foothill staff and has worked with two other Foothill coaches. Tuesday’s game was special for him when he was on the bench watching the Knights capture the CIF Southern California Regional title with a victory over Los Altos. He and his wife Karen live in Orange Park Acres.

“Gary Sully has had a great impact on our program,” Etemadi said Friday. “In the three years I have been coaching here Gary has become a very good friend to me and the players absolutely love him. He brings a lot of experience and wisdom to what we do, not only in a basketball sense but also in life.

“The boys really look up to him and listen to what he has to say. We have been fortunate to have Gary on staff and are sad to see him retire.  He has left his impact on our program and our staff and we are fortunate for that.”

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