Felix Cortez steps down as basketball coach

Cortez’s career spanned from 1987 to 2023

Alejandro Hernandez

On April 20, former varsity boys basketball head coach Felix Cortez ‘83, a VHS alum, coached the basketball team for the last time. It was his last official day as head coach. Cortez stepped down after coming to an agreement with the VHS administration to leave coaching, ending his 37-year-long career coaching basketball at VHS, with his first year at VHS being the 1986-87 school year. Cortez now works with athletic equipment and performs custodial duties, which he does with the VHS PE program. He plans to continue working in that position for the foreseeable future.

Cortez said, “37 years is a long time. I think my [coaching] style is a little bit different than what the kids nowadays want. [It’s] not that I don’t get along with them, I just have an old school approach. I think kids want some more freedom on the court and more chances to be creative. To me, a team sport is the old school.”

Cortez has noticed the divide between his coaching style and his players for years, but he said that it became especially pronounced after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although he saw changes in VHS basketball culture over his coaching career and since his playing career for VHS in the early 1980s, he said that the changes that motivated his departure were about player mindset, not athleticism. Cortez said, “I actually think the players [today] are more athletic [than when I started coaching at VHS].”

Principal Marissa Rodriguez said, “A discussion about the [basketball] program led to a mutual decision. Athletic programs are reviewed with coaches frequently. Our discussion led to a mutual decision to go in a different direction with the boys basketball program effective immediately and for the [20]23-24 school year. Coach Cortez dedicated [37] years to the program and we would like to thank him for his commitment and dedication to our Cougars.” Cortez said, “I was able to coach in five CIF finals [and two state] finals. But the most important thing is the relationships that I’ve been able to develop with my former players, my peers, my colleagues from throughout the county and [in] our leagues. I think those are [my] greatest accomplishments because ultimately when we work in this business, it’s about kids. It’s about relationships. VHS has afforded me [the] opportunity to be the best I could be.”

Jack Rose ‘23, a varsity boys basketball player who Cortez coached, said, “[Cortez] coached here for over 30 years, and has stuck with the program through its ups and downs. You won’t find a person, coach or not, who is more passionate and loyal to Ventura High athletics. What was always clear with coach Cortez was that he placed a great emphasis on personal accountability, togetherness, playing with respect and honor and above all, playing tough. No matter the coach, there is always bound to be pros and cons, but one thing I don’t think anyone ever questioned was coach Cortez’s care and interest in each of his players’ lives, both on and off the court.”

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Engelhardt said, “[Running] only really got competitive [in] eighth grade. By that, I mean harder workouts and actually traveling to go to races and things like that. Then I got to high school and I think everything was new and exciting for running. That kind of kept me going during my freshman season. My passion is running, and that excitement from [my] freshman year has kind of bled over into sophomore year.”

Tyree Cruz, the distance coach for the VHS cross country team and track & field team, said, “[Engelhardt] likes to work really hard. She’s dialed into her mileage and what she’s doing. She’s really goal oriented in trying to break [her] records and chase after those mile times. She loves being part of the team and everybody loves watching her race.”

Engelhardt runs 40 miles a week as of May, but she has no desire to slow down. Instead, she hopes to increase her weekly mileage as she gets older. She said, “[I’m] very cautious about my mileage just because I am still a sophomore. Even though I’m running against girls that are running like 50, 60 miles a week, I have to remember that I’m an underclassman, and that I have so much more potential down the line. I don’t want to ruin it all now.”

Nick DeGeorge ‘24, a member of the VHS cross country team and track and field team, said, “She’s different from a lot of other runners because she’s humble [and] never brags, and is willing to work hard for others, not just herself. She definitely deserves all the success she has received.”

Engelhardt will compete at the 1,600 and 800-meter events at the 2023 CIF State Track & Field Championships in Clovis, Calif. on May 26 and 27. She will later race the 1,500-meter event at the Portland Track Festival in Portland, Ore. on June 4. Then, she will race in Philadelphia, Pa. to break her 800-meter personal record of 2:05 minutes and compete in the mile event. In her final scheduled event, Engelhardt will compete in the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships, an outdoor track and field competition, in Eugene, Ore. on July 1 and 2, where she will compete in the prelims, which will determine if she moves to later rounds.

After high school, Engelhardt wants to pursue a professional running career. She said, “Going pro is kind of like every runner’s dream. Just like doing what they love, which is running as a career. I’m excited because I can finally talk to colleges [in mid-June]. I like the pressure that comes with [my] records and stuff like that. Those bars that I work towards help me stay motivated.”

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