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Olson hired as Cabrillo’s assistant basketball coach

APTOS — Derek Olson’s first meeting with Cabrillo College men’s basketball coach Tony Marcopulos felt more like an interrogation than an interview.

A wide-eyed University of Pacific freshman vying for a team manager’s position, Olson wasn’t sure what to think about the line of questioning from Marcopulos, a veteran Tigers assistant coach.

"For about 45 minutes or an hour, he just grilled me," Olson said Friday. "By the end, he knew me better than some of my friends."

Olson passed the test and got the manager job; Marcopulos soon took to the hard-working student and their relationship blossomed.

Now, they’re reunited again. Marcopulos this week announced Olson, 26, as his first assistant coach after enduring a tumultuous first year without one.

"He’s another piece of the puzzle, to get this thing going in the right direction," Marcopulos said. "I feel a lot more comfortable now."

Olson will be a part-time assistant coach; he’ll work full-time as a math teacher at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville.

Never has the hiring of an assistant been such cause for celebration, but in Cabrillo’s case, it’s merited.

Last year, Marcopulos was essentially on an island as he tried to turn around the downtrodden Seahawks, who haven’t had a winning record in more than a decade.

The first-year coach walked right into a full-court press; in adjusting to his new job, Marcopulos had to coach, recruit, rebuild and teach a full schedule of classes without a helping hand.

After the Seahawks struggled to an 8-22 record, one of the coach’s first off-season priorities was finding an assistant to ease the burden.

Just how much of that load will Olson assume?

"Quite a bit," Marcopulos said. "At least half, if not more."

It’s a welcome challenge for Olson, who joins Cabrillo after one season as an assistant at Modesto. He will be in charge of Cabrillo’s basketball camps this summer.

"Anything and everything he needs me to do," will be his role under Marcopulos, Olson said.

Marcopulos said Olson was his first choice because the coach was confident in Olson’s work ethic, loyalty and time management.

"He’s more organized than crime," Marcopulos said. "And knowledge of the subject, that’s the main thing."

Marcopulos and Olson worked together at Pacific under coach Bob Thomason. They were both part of Pacific’s breakout season in 1997, winning the Big West Conference championship and earning an NCAA Tournament bid. The team featured future No. 1 draft pick Michael Olowokandi and Santa Cruz High graduate Aaron Woliczko.

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