By Mark Dorfman
On June 4, the life of legendary Aptos High boys’ basketball coach Bill Warmerdam was celebrated at Aptos High in the gym that bears his name.
Bill Warmerdam
Coach Warmerdam, who died May 18 at the age of 82, was one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the history of both Santa Cruz County and in Northern California.
Coach Warmerdam was head coach at Aptos High for 23 seasons, from the day the school opened in 1969 until his retirement in 1992. His teams won 10 league championships, including six in a row from 1973 to 1978, and they made 31 CCS playoff appearances.
His magical 1986 team won the league, CCS, and Nor-Cal championships, ultimately losing 72-46 in the State Championship to Wilson High School and future NBA star Scott Williams.
Through 55 years of Aptos basketball, Coach Warmerdam remains the only boys coach to reach the state championship game, and he was also the first in County history. Only two other Aptos coaches have even reached the Nor-Cal playoffs. Coach Warmerdam’s overall record was 393-232.
Running a fast-paced offense and a pressing defense, and playing at a frenetic pace from the opening tip to the last horn, his teams set County and Nor-Cal scoring records that still stand today.
Seven of his teams scored over 100 points in a game, six of them before the advent of the three-point line!
Mark Dorfman, former Aptos High School Athletic Director, speaks at the celebration.
He coached seven league MVP’s, and forty-eight first-team All-League players, and many of his players went on to play at 4-year colleges and universities, including Gonzaga, MIT, Princeton, Loyola Marymount, UCSC, and more.
In a Celebration of Life in Warmerdam Gymnasium, in front of several hundred friends, family, and former players, speaker after speaker lauded Coach Warmerdam, told humorous stories of his quirky habits, and thanked him over and over.
Speakers included Coach Ray Tanimoto, Coach Steve Miles, and Coach Joseph Smith, fellow PE teachers Jamie Townsend and Jim Mikaelsen, and past players Mike Gruber, Bob Williams, and Stu and Kevin Walters. Son Cris and daughters Susan and Barbie also spoke.
Memories were evoked: Kjell Stakkestad leading the Mariners in 1973 to their first league championship in school history. Bryan Holt dropping 64 points on North Monterey County in 1984. Jeff Jones and the other Holt brothers, Warren and Craig, leading the magical 1986 team. Cris Warmerdam grabbing rebounds and blocking shots like no one before or since. Trent Dilfer in the post. Kelly Stratton. Doug Glaum. Brian and Johnny McNulty. The Walters brothers. And more. The giants of Aptos basketball.
Attendees also laughed at stories of Coach Warmerdam’s idiosyncrasies, turning up the heat in the gym for practices and games, playing ear-splitting loud music during warm-ups, calling timeouts if his teams passed too much, his famous Driver Training sessions, his penchant for Lost & Found clothes, his family vacations to the Central Valley, betting on the ponies, and many, many more.
More seriously, speaker after speaker spoke of Coach Warmerdam’s generous spirit, his easy laugh, and his devotion to his players and to his family. His wife, Pat, attended every game, sitting in the same spot behind the bench, knitting or saying the rosary, depending on the game.
Ray Tanimoto
They talked of his mentorship to a generation of coaches and players, of the advice he shared and the lessons he taught. They talked about his passion for coaching basketball. And they talked about lifelong friendships and the loss they are now experiencing.
Bill Warmerdam, coach, husband, father, grandfather, educator, mentor, icon, legend, and friend. He will be remembered as a warm, funny, generous, and gracious man, and as a remarkable basketball coach, one of the best ever.