Photo by Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
The California Coaches Association has chosen Palisades Charter High School pilot Dave Suarez the 2022-23 Girls Golf High School Coach of the Year after he guided the Dolphins to their second consecutive LA City Section team title in November.
Suarez was one of 10 City Section coaches to be so honored in their respective sports. In the spring he led the boys squad to second place at City and a berth in the Southern California Regionals.
Palisades’ girls captured the City crown by 50 strokes over Granada Hills after having dethroned the Highlanders by seven shots the year before to earn its first girls title ever. Since taking over the golf program at his alma mater in 2021 Suarez has coached the boys and girls teams to two titles each.
He coached the girls volleyball team to three straight titles from 1997-99, the boys volleyball team to the upper division title in 1998 and the boys soccer team to its first and only section title in 2015-16. He was the setter on the Dolphins’ City championship volleyball team in 1988, giving him 10 titles in all as a coach and player. He started coaching at Pali High in 1994 and is also a teacher.
Suarez received his award at the CCA’s annual awards dinner June 17 in San Diego.
The mission of the California Coaches Association is to provide a professional organization uniting all coaches in California, dedicated to maintaining the highest possible standards for athletic competition and coaching conditions in California.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
