Matt Hauser is the new girls basketball coach at Santa Margarita High, officials announced last month.

Hauser, a 1996 Laguna Hills High graduate, takes over from Scott Bricker, who resigned in March so he could focus on his business.

Bricker was 39-17 in his two seasons with the Eagles, and led Santa Margarita to a share of the Trinity League title and the CIF-SS Division I-AA quarterfinals in 2008. Last season, he guided the Eagles to the CIF-SS Division III-AA semifinals.

Hauser played collegiately at both Irvine Valley College and Chico State, and went on to play in professional leagues in Germany, Switzerland, France and Portugal. He also participated in preseason camps with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.

“I am very much looking forward to watching coach Houser with the team. He has had tremendous personal success and I believe he will continue that success with the SM girls’ program,” said SMCHS Athletic Director Rich Schaaf.

Hauser comes from a family with a rich basketball history. His dad, Phil, coaches at Laguna Hills High, and his sister, Whitney, was a First Team All-CIF player, winning the state championship for Laguna Hills in 1997 before playing two seasons with USC.

Matt served as an assistant under his father and also started the OC Elite club basketball program.

He takes over a program that has had tremendous success this decade. The Eagles have won six Trinity League championships since 2001 – seven overall – and won a CIF-Southern Section title in 2005.

Hauser inherits a talented team that includes All-County guard Melissa Zornig, guard Madison McKenney, forward Jessica Johnson, and forward Elise Lorenz.

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