Inspired by his high school basketball coach, Jesse Teplitzky turned to a coaching career as his gateway to success.

With 10 years of coaching experience, Teplitzky was offered a position as the head coach for the men’s basketball team here at Cerritos College.

Before coming to Cerritos College he served as an assistant at Santa Monica College.

“It was too good of a job to not take it. Cerritos has lots of tradition and it’s excellence was appealing,” Teplitzky said.

He received his bachelor’s at Metro State College in Denver and his master’s at the University of Colorado.

Teplitzky intends on, “Maintaining the high level of excellence this team has. It was already in good shape before I arrived.

The prior coach was a very, very good coach. Though my system may be different, it will still provide a high level work ethic.”

Teplitzky identifies his team as a “motion” team.

He explains, “A motion team basically consists of freedom. There’s a freedom in how you play, how you move and how the game is structured.

“It simply allows the player freedom to move the way he wants to as opposed to having one particular role throughout the game.”

This system works in favor of the players.

Point guard Jeremy Pope said, “It makes everyone work. You have the freedom to move the way you want, yet it’s organized and family structured. His system is exactly what allows each player to help achieve every possible championship.”

Marcellus Jackson, forward, contributes, “Coach’s system is hard and competitive but it brings out and utilizes the best potential in a player.”

Jackson followed Teplitzky from Santa Monica College.

He believes Teplitzky is, “An excellent coach who has a lot of heart and will put his entire effort into winning. He’s created an almost perfect system that will definitely get us a championship.”

“He gets guys where they want to be,” Pope added.

At the end of the season, Teplitzky hopes to, “Help these overachievers use every ounce of their potential to obtain a championship, have a great season, and for them to gain personal strength and confidence. I would like for them to get through the program and leave with the satisfaction of becoming a better person, a better student, and a better basketball player.”

“I want them to work hard and play together. I want to help them understand that great sacrifice makes great achievements,” Teplitzky aspires.

He promises,” I will be here for a long time and I promise I will hang another banner.”