October 6, 2024

OC Sports Zone: Community First

Three coaches going into basketball Hall of fame Saturday

Steve Keith will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Saturday (Photo courtesy Keith family).

Basketball coaches Steve Keith, Northwood’s Tim O’Brien and Santa Margarita’s Rich Schaff will be inducted into the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Keith, who coached at Irvine, Sage Hill and Glendale, will be inducted during halftime of the CIF open division championship game at Cal Baptist, said Greg Coombs, coach at Godinez and executive director of the association.

In all, Keith coached for 27 years at Glendale, Irvine and Sage Hill and had a career record of 450-255.

He led his teams to 23 CIF playoff appearances and six league championships, guided Glendale to CIF titles in 1981 and 1985. He took Irvine to the CIF finals in 1989 where the Vaqueros lost to Capistrano Valley.

Keith’s 1985 Glendale team was 28-0 and ranked No. 3 in the state.

He was also named the high school area coach of the year by the Los Angeles Times in 1981, 1983. 1984 and 1985 and was named the Orange County all-star game coach in 1989.

Keith was named CIF coach of the year in 1981 and 1985 and the Cal-Hi Sports State Coach of the Year in 1985. Keith is retired and living in Irvine.

O’Brien is Northwood’s boys basketball coach. He took a year off this past season for health reasons but hopes to return next year to guide the Timberwolves.

He will also be honored at halftime of the open division game. (To read an update about Coach O’Brien, please click here)

Schaff, the former Santa Margarita coach, will be honored at halftime of the Eagles’ Division 1 boys championship game.

“Each of these individuals have had legendary careers; their inclusion into the Hall of Fame is richly deserved,” Coombs said.