After 17 seasons as head baseball coach at Cerritos College, Ken Gaylord has stepped down to assistant coach to Jack Brooks.

Brooks, who has spent three seasons with the Falcon baseball program, has a resume that just might qualify him for the position.

Before joining the team at Cerritos, Brooks played as an infielder at Loyola Marymount University and earned a Bachelors Degree in Urban Planning with a minor in history.

“Coaching is coaching,” were the words of Ken Gaylord, who doesn’t neccessarly see his new coaching change as a major adjustment.

Actually, his job may have just gotten easier becuase of the impact that Brooks has had on the team since his arrival.

Assistant Wally Kincaid, who has been coaching at Cerritos for 22 seasons, will call his long and successful career quits.

In his head coaching days at Cerritos, he led the Falcons to the only undefeated season in Falcon baseball history as well as California Community College baseball.

He was also the first basketball coach in Cerritos College history and has played with and coached countless players who have gone on to be successful on a proffesional level.

After learning from both Kincaid and Gaylord, Brooks has the tools to continue he winning tradition of Cerritos baseball.

Gaylord stated that Brooks brings his own twist to the program that has been a great addition to the staff.

Brooks began his coaching career with the man he played for in high school, his father Kim Brooks who still coaches at La Mirada High School.

After being an assistant to his father, he became head coach at Norwalk High School and led the team to the first CIF playoff win in the school’s history.

That kind of winning attiude and strong baseball background has surely benifited the Falcon baseball program so far as well as his aggresive hands on coaching style and vocal leadership.

Coaching at third base during games and coaching the in and outfielders for Cerritos baseball may attribute to the success of the defense and scoring in past seasons. 

Cerritos baseball also expects a building year upon last seasons success with the return of sophomore Joe Terry, who was drafted this summer by the Seattle Mariners.

With a team of returning players as well as new recruits, Brooks said that he expects the youth to make mistakes and learn from them game by game but also expects the returners to lead by example and be leaders on the field.

Although Kincaid will no longer be in the dugout with the Falcons, his teachings have been benificial for both Gaylord and Brooks.

Stepping down as head coach of Cerritos baseball has been a decision that Gaylord felt was neccesary and fair to the players.

Gaylord has two sons who play college baseball (Adam, senior at Stanford University, and Brian, junior at Lewis & Clark) and will be taking more time to watch them play.

Knowing so, Gaylord knew it would not be helping Cerritos baseball at all without his undivided attention at the head coaching position.

Brooks is head coach officially and Falcon baseball looks forward to moving in a positive direction.