Harvard-Westlake's Melissa Hearlihy announces retirement as girls basketball coach

Legendary coach steps down after 39 seasons, 839 victories, the second most in California history

Harvard-Westlake coach Melissa Hearlihy holds up the CIF State D2 championship trophy after a 60-45 win over Colfax at Golden 1 Center. / Photo: Dennis Lee

As it turned out, Melissa Hearlihy finished on top. As she should.

The legendary high school girls basketball coach stepped down Monday after 39 seasons split between Harvard-Westlake and Bishop Alemany.

The news was first reported on Twitter by Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Sondheimer.

Hearlihy won her final game on March 9 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento with Harvard-Westlake's 60-45 victory over Colfax for the CIF State Division 2 title. It was the 839th victory of her coaching career after spending the final 24 seasons at Harvard-Westlake, where she won four Southern Section and nine Mission League titles.

READ: Harvard-Westlake wins state D2 title

Her overall win total ranks second in California history, according to the CalhiSports record book, only to Kevin Kiernan who retired last season at Mater Dei with 900 victories. Another retired coach Jeff Sink ranks third in state history with 836 victories, almost all at Brea-Olinda.

Mitty's Sue Phillips (819) is now the state's winningest active coach.

Winning was just a minor part of Hearlihy's influence on the girls basketball in the Southland and all of California. She is considered a pioneer, ambassador and spokesperson for the sport, and a mentor for countless student-athletes.

Eighteen of her former Harvard-Westlake players went on to play college basketball.

"My career has been so full of meaningful relationships with colleagues, student-athletes and families that words cannot do justice," she said in a press release. "Dedicating my professional career to high school has always been with the goal of developing young girls into confident and determined young women, giving them the opportunity to find success on and off the floor.

"I am leaving with great love for my extended basketball family and the communities I've served."

Harvard-Westlake's 2023-24 title was was the second state championship in three appearances for Hearlihy, whose team opened the season 4-13 due largely to injuries.

With Hearlihy's guidance, the Wolverines rebounded to go 15-5 down the stretch to take regional and state championships. The recovered from a season-ending injury to sophomore standout Bella Spencer and early-season injury to senior point guard Jamie Yue.

"It felt like we never had our full team until the last week of the season," Hearlihy said after the championship win.

In the state-title game, freshman Angelina Habis scored a game-high 19 points with seven rebounds, junior Deana Thompson tallied 18 points, six rebound and four assists, and sophomore Valentina Guerrero had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

"We've had a lot of things going on all year long with injuries," Hearlihy said after the game. "But we finally got everybody back (on Tuesday) and what I love is that I've watched them the last three days become a unit, a family and care about each other."

Legendary coach Melissa Hearlihy raises the trophy to her team's delight after winning the cif state d2 title march 9 with a 60-45 win over Colfax at the golden 1 center in sacramento, home of the sacramento kings / Photo: Dennis Lee

Hearlihy told SBLive's Tarek Fattal in December that type of unity has been a challenge in the high school game due to the growing pressures of kids and families to play college basketball.

"I miss the community aspect," she told Fattal in an episode of the Southern Section Sitdown show. "The kids wanting to play for a school and being proud to put on a jersey for the name on the front opposed to the back. It makes it difficult as an educator, back in the day we all worked at the school, we all taught classes, we were all part of the community.

"I think that whole scenario has gone away," she added.

WATCH: Southrn Section Sitdown with Tarek Fattal/Melissa Hearlihy

Harvard-Westlake Athletic Department head Terry Barnum said the search for a new coach would begin immediately, though Hearlihy may never be truly replaced. Ten of the team's 12 players are scheduled to return including four leading scorers.

"Melissa Hearlihy is a legend and one of the greatest coaches in girls basketball," Barnum said in the release. "She is among the most accomplished coaches ever at Harvard-Westlake, in any sport.

"No matter who she had on her team, you knew she would have them ready to play and they would give maximum effort. Harvard-Westlake will forever be grateful for all that she has give to our community."

Harvard-Westlake poses for a team shot with Melissa Hearlihy in the center back after winning the 2024 CIF State D2 title March 9 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. /