Pasadena High’s Tim Tucker Garners Coaching Award

Pasadena Bulldogs head coach Tim Tucker has been named the Southern Section winter coach of the year in boys’ basketball category by the California Coaches Association after guiding his team to CIF-Southern Section Division 3AAA crown.

Tucker, who recently guided Pasadena to its fifth CIF-SS title in school history, joins Long Beach Millikan’s Lorene Morgan (girls’ basketball) and Rod Petkovic (boys’ soccer), Oaks Christian’s Sebastian Alvarado (girls’ soccer), Murrieta Valley’s Bryan Lynton (girls’ water polo), and Corona Centennial’s Randy Campbell (wrestling) in the honorary list of outstanding coaches in the Southern Section.

Tucker captured the coach of the year award and automatic nomination for the State’s coach of the year after getting the nod from the Association’s selection committee.

“Coach Tucker was selected because he received a majority of the votes from the selection committee. California Coaches’ Association’s Southern Section Representative Ken Reeves said Sunday.  “The committee deemed him the most worthy candidate this year.  It certainly was not an easy process as all four finalists are very involved in the sport and all have coached extremely successful teams over a significant period of time.  While I cannot speak for all members of the committee, I do know that longevity, involvement in the sport, team success and the recommendation of the school are all items that are taken under consideration.”

A former standout at Pasadena High, Tucker was instrumental in helping the Bulldogs become the undisputed CIF champion during the 1978-79 season. Moreover, Tucker also played with basketball talents like Barry Brooks (USC), Tim Wills (Pacific), Keith Stevens (Texas), Keith Hood (Utah State), and Dale Cook (ASU) during his tenure with the Bulldogs.

In college, Tucker started for two seasons for the Wyoming Cowboys before transferring Westmont College, where he played under the tutelage of former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Randy Pfund.

After his graduation, Tucker worked as an assistant coach at LA Valley College before landing a coaching job at Pasadena City College, Cal State University at San Bernardino and eventually at Pasadena High.

Considered as one of the best defensive coaches in Southern California, Tucker was successful in keeping the Bulldogs a perennial contender in the CIF.

With the southern section boys’ basketball coach of the year in the bag, Tucker aims for an even greater title as he attempts to join Long Beach Poly’s Ron Palmer (1992), Mater Dei’s Gary McKnight (1996), Ayala’s Tom Gregory (2007), and Paso Roble’s Scott Larson (2009) in the circle of southern section coaches to win the State coach of the year plum.

The State Coach of the Year will be announced at the California Coaches Association Banquet on June 9 in San Diego.