Del Oro girls basketball coach steps up to varsity level

There is a new leader of the Del Oro High School girls basketball team, but he's no stranger to the program. Amir Farooq has been around the girls basketball program for four years, coaching the freshman and JV teams, and now takes the next step in his career after being named the varsity coach this month. This is Farooq's first varsity head coaching job, but he's confident his decade of experience has prepared him. He coached at Franklin Elementary in Loomis, with the Lady Eagles Youth Basketball program in Loomis and in AAU. "I've been around here for a while after coming up from the Bay Area," said Farooq. "Coming down to Sacramento, I've ingrained myself in the community, and it's been a blessing to just be a part of it. The support has been overwhelming, and I am super excited to take on this opportunity. I'm ready to get going." Farooq says the transition to varsity has been relatively smooth since he has coached many of the players before and knows their play style and how they fit into the system. "I've been coaching a lot of these girls since they were fifth- and sixth-graders. Having the ability to coach them, be around them, see what their community and their families are like gives me a deeper sense of understanding for them," said Farooq. "I get to have a level of trust with them that maybe a lot of other coaches would need to build over time." Boasting a rich tradition in girls basketball, Farooq understands the sense of community the team has and wants to continue building the legacy established by the late Mike Takayama. Farooq knows how important it is for the school to continue its traditions and he plans to keep them going during his tenure. "We value tradition a lot. I like to take part in what Del Oro's culture has been over the years," said Farooq. "A big staple for myself coming into this program five years ago was understanding what Del Oro was about and what Loomis is about." Farooq steps into a better situation than most first-year head coaches find themselves in. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 19-11 season and third-place finish in the Sierra Foothill League. While Del Oro graduated five seniors, it has a strong group returning and brings an influx of talent from the lower levels. He had a chance to see his team in action earlier this month at Girls California Live in Roseville. Said Farooq, "It's helping our program a lot, just to be able to get this type of exposure. We are still early in the summer, but a lot of this tournament is helping us build for the season."