JIM WEEKS

Steve Virgen

Making the best of a bad situation is a habit Jim Weeks has used to

overcome adversity and find success.

Weeks, a Costa Mesa High math teacher and coach for the past 22

years, learned to use this type of solution at a young age while

being influenced by his parents. When Weeks was 14, his family moved

from Texas to Orange County. They did so because the young boy had an

asthma problem and the sunny coastal conditions in California would

help.

In Texas, Weeks was hospitalized seven times until his parents had

enough and moved the family.

“I think [dealing with asthma] helped me build character,” Weeks

said. “My parents’ attitude was that we’re going to make it through

and we are always going to survive. That mentality has always been

there for me. I’ve been able to apply that to my life. To me, when

there is a negative, a positive has come out of it. It’s a good motto

to live by.

Before Weeks moved to California, he found his calling while

sitting in a math class in his eighth-grade year. He said he had a

great math teacher and knew he would also become a teacher.

After graduating from Marina High in Huntington Beach, Weeks went

on to study at UC Irvine. After earning his degree in math in 1970,

he earned his teaching credential at Long Beach State. In the fall of

1972, Weeks began his teaching career at Davis Intermediate. He also

started coaching.

For eight years, he coached boys and girls basketball. For two

years during that time, Weeks coached four teams, junior varsity and

varsity teams for each program. He would coach from morning to night

on some days that each team had a game. And, he loved every minute of

it.

“Being able to coach is just a high, especially when I get to

coach a basketball game,” Weeks said.

In 1981, Weeks moved over to Costa Mesa High and found his home.

He does not plan to leave and expects to retire from there when he

feels the time is right.

While with the Mustangs, Weeks has coached girls basketball,

freshmen and junior varsity boys basketball, boys golf, frosh/soph

girls volleyball, junior varsity and varsity softball and junior

varsity and varsity girls tennis. He is known for coaching girls

basketball, which he continues to do, as he enters his 12th season.

He coached the girls basketball team from 1986 to 1992, then

returned as the head man in ’97. There have been several highlights

throughout Weeks’ reign.

“I think being able to coach so many children has been great,”

Weeks said. “Winning the CIF [Southern Section Division 3-A]

championship in 1990 is right up there, too. Coaching the kids is

great. I’m coaching eighth-grade girls this year. Their season ends

[Nov. 14] and the [high school] varsity begins the next day.”

Weeks learned plenty when he began his career as coach at Davis.

He said breaking down the game into small parts for the younger

players helped him develop different skills and strategies. Math has

helped him, as well.

“I think all basketball is math on the ground; it’s pure

geometry,” Weeks said. “Every game is a math game. My kids hear that

all the time.”

Weeks said he wants to continue to coach for up to 10 more years.

He has talked about there being a transition with his assistant coach

Evelyn Johnson (formerly Powers), who played for Costa Mesa in 1996.

“I would love to be her assistant,” Weeks said. “I want to coach

for a long time.”

Because he wanted his career to last, Weeks decided to manage good

health two years ago. He went on a six-month diet, lost 60 pounds and

has remained in shape.

Weeks also received new life, so to speak, when he married

Lorraine two months ago in Hawaii. His children, Josh (26) and Lisa

(22), from his first marriage, are very happy for him, he said. Weeks

also has a grandchild, Colin, who is 1.

Weeks, 55, who now lives in Irvine, is the latest honoree of the

Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame.