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Head Coach SOMMER McCARTNEY

Coach Sommer McCartney was hired as the Gauchos' head coach at the end of the 2011 season, replacing long-time coach, friend and mentor, Jack Hodges, who retired after teaching and coaching at Saddleback for 22 years. McCartney spent 10 years as an assistant coach under Hodges at Saddleback, including six years as a full-time instructor. McCartney continues to teach Health and Kinesiology classes at Saddleback.

McCartney started coaching at Saddleback in 1998, the year the Gauchos fell one game short of a State Championship and had to settle for state runner-up honors.  In his 10 years as an assistant coach at Saddleback, he has helped the program win 239 games.  From 2001 through 2005 he left Saddleback to become the head coach at Aliso Niguel High School where he won back-to-back Sea View League championships. In 2005 he was hired as a full-time instructor and baseball coach at Saddleback but remained active in coaching youth players, serving as a coach with the US Junior National teams in 2007 and 2008. 

Coach McCartney has also helped several Gauchos continue their education and career at the next level. Saddleback has placed an averaged of 12 players a year at four-year universities. He has also had a hand in helping coach former Saddleback and current MLB players Nick Punto (SS - St. Louis Cardinals), Rob Johnson (C - San Diego Padres), and Kanekoa Texeira (P - NY Yankees).  

Coach McCartney is originally from San Jose where he played football, soccer and baseball at Willow Glen High School, graduating in 1990. He played baseball for two seasons at San Jose City College under coach Barry Woodhead and then transferred to UC Riverside and played baseball for two seasons under coach Jack Smitheran. In 1994, his UCR team went to the NCAA Division II College World Series in Montgomery, Alabama. McCartney was drafted and signed with the Florida Marlins as a catcher in 1994 and played until 1997.

Coach McCartney earned his Bachelors degree from UC Riverside and his Masters degree from Azusa Pacific University.  He also attained his Master Fitness Instructor certificate from the Cooper Institute of Aerobics in 2006.

Sommer and his wife, Kris, have two daughters - Annika and Briana - and make their home in San Clemente.

Assistant Coach GEOFF FOX

Heading into his sixth season at Saddleback in 2012, Coach Geoff Fox works with the infielders and hitters. Before coming to Saddleback he coached one year at Palm Desert High School in the greater Palm Springs area, where he was an assistant and helped guide the Aztecs to their 4th straight DVL conference championship.

Coach Fox was raised in the Seattle and Phoenix areas. Graduate of Mesquite High School (Phoenix), Coach Fox led the conference in batting average, home runs, and RBI's as a senior. He played baseball at South Mountain Community College where he was named Freshman Player of the Year in the ACCAC (Arizona Community College Athletic Conference) and set a school record with a 33-game hitting streak. He would later transfer to Colorado Mesa University after his sophomore year, where he was a part of back-to-back NCAA Division II Super Regional appearances for the Mavericks.

Coach Fox earned his bachelor’s in Mass Communications from Colorado Mesa University and would later earn his master's in Health and Human Performance from Fort Hays State University. He also teaches Kinesiology classes at Saddleback as well as works as a personal trainer. Geoff lives in Aliso Viejo with his wife, Val, and their two-year-old son, Gavin.

Assistant Coach LARRY HOLT

Coach Holt joined the staff at Saddleback in 2009 and works with the outfielders and hitters.  He is in his 18th year of coaching. He spent five years at Santa Margarita Catholic High School where his teams produced five consecutive winning seasons and two league championships.      

Larry played baseball at Oklahoma State University and later for the Oklahoma City Industrials.  He is retired from 32 years as an executive from AT&T and Lucent Technologies.  He and his wife, Diane, live in Mission Viejo.