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Barrios hopes to build program as Warriors' girls basketball coach

Joe Barrios wasn't too disappointed about losing his high school basketball coaching debut Nov. 28.

The Fallbrook High School girls varsity team Barrios coaches has no returning starters from the 2016-17 team, few varsity players who were on the floor for any of last season's games, and a majority of players who have not yet finished 10th grade. The Warriors were playing at El Camino but kept the margin of loss to single digits in the Wildcats' 49-40 victory. Fallbrook's junior varsity squad obtained a 22-21 win over El Camino.

"There's a big difference between coaching a team and building a program," Barrios said.

The 2016-17 varsity included 15 girls. Three of the six players who were on the floor for the most minutes were seniors and the other three are no longer at Fallbrook High School, so Barrios had no returning starters and only six returning varsity players, including some who did not appear in a game last season. This year Barrios is carrying 12 players on the varsity consisting of three seniors, two juniors, and seven sophomores.

"It's a talented group," Barrios said. "There's a lot of fight in these girls."

Tony Morrow was Fallbrook's coach last season, and Barrios initially expected to be one of Morrow's assistants for the 2017-18 season.

"The plan was to help Tony and participate here and there," said Barrios.

Barrios coached the sixth-period physical education basketball program in spring 2017. Morrow was an on-campus coach and when his duties with the high school's college and career center expanded, he stepped down from the basketball program.

"The opportunity came up this year," said Barrios. "I decided to throw my hat in there. I felt I was the right person for it."

Barrios has two children. His daughter, Riley, is a Fallbrook High School sophomore and plays on the basketball team when she is healthy. His 12-year-old son, Robbie, is currently in seventh grade and is homeschooled.

"I've coached a lot of youth programs," Barrios said.

"Joe's a Fallbrook guy, coached club for a long time," said Fallbrook High School athletic director Patrick Walker. "He has the background, the qualifications to take us to new levels."

Barrios, who turned 50 on Dec. 2, was 13 when his family moved from Eugene, Oregon, to Orange County. The University of Oregon is in Eugene, and before Phil Knight's Nike dollars upgraded the entire Ducks athletic program Oregon was primarily a track and field and cross country powerhouse.

"I grew up running," Barrios said.

Barrios was an age group state champion while running in Oregon, as were his brother and sister. He ran cross country and track at University High School in Irvine before graduating in 1985, and he also wrestled for the Trojans.

He was in a basketball spring league at Santa Monica Community College, although not on the school's basketball team. Barrios also played basketball in a spring league rather than on the intercollegiate team at Long Beach State University. "I've been playing ever since," he said.

In the early 1990s he played for a city team in a Mexican league.

"It was an opportunity to keep playing," Barrios said. "Just an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

Barrios did not receive a salary when he played for the San Miguel de Allende team, but all of his expenses were paid. He spent about six months with the team and was one of two Americans in the league.

"It was an interesting opportunity," he said.

The Barrios family moved from Fountain Valley to Fallbrook seven years ago. Barrios coached the Sullivan Middle School girls team from 2013 to 2016 and guided the Wildcats to two championship banners in his final two seasons.

"It's fun to watch them grow up now," Barrios said.

Barrios was the Sullivan boys coach for the 2016-17 season.

"He's good at that development," Walker said.

The Fallbrook Union High School District hired Barrios as the girls head basketball coach in June. During the fall sports season he also coached sixth-period basketball at the high school.

"He's familiar and knows all of our kids," Walker said.

A total of 28 girls tried out for the Warriors' basketball program. The numbers did not warrant both a freshman and a junior varsity team, so Barrios and junior varsity coach Jeff White kept 16 players on the junior varsity as well as the twelve varsity girls.

"I didn't really cut anyone from our program at all," Barrios said.

White's full-time job is as a Sullivan Middle School math teacher and he also coaches basketball at Sullivan, so Barrios helps with the junior varsity program, which has long-term benefits as well as relief for White.

"We're trying to get a continuity," Barrios said.

The girls who played for Fallbrook in earlier seasons include Jessica Ramirez, who will be one of Barrios' varsity assistant coaches. "I have a phenomenal assistant coach," he said.

Ramirez graduated from Fallbrook High School in 2014. She was part of the Warriors' basketball program for four years and spent her final two seasons on the varsity.

"I think it's so good to have a young woman coaching the team that's been in their shoes," Barrios said. "She's an asset."

The other varsity assistant coach, Dan Bachman, was the Warriors' head girls basketball coach from 2010 to 2016.

"He's done this for a while," said Barrios of Bachman. "It's nice having him there with that experience."

Bachman is also an on-campus coach and will be able to handle issues involving the school.

"I've got a great staff," Barrios said.

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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