Griffins Get New Baseball Coach With Winning Background

Los Alamitos High School has a new Griffin.

This week, the school confirmed reports that longtime Lakewood High School Assistant Coach Matt Nuez will be the new varsity baseball head coach at Los Alamitos High School.

This will be Nuez’s first year as head coach after assisting Spud O’Neil in one of the area’s best programs for 13 seasons. According to written statement by Los Alamitos High School Principal Grant Litfin, O’Neil has credited Nuez as being the lead for the day-to-day operations of their successful program for several years.  

Nuez holds a kinesiology degree and will also teach physical education at the school, filing the teaching slot vacated by Football Coach John Barnes, who will continue to coach Griffins football.

Nuez has experience coaching all positions, calling pitches, working with parents and players, and situational management in games.  But, he is also no slouch as a player. Nuez played high school baseball at Lakewood High School, where he still holds batting records including most hits in a game with 5, and where he batted .391 and .500 in his junior and senior seasons and helped Lakewood to a CIF Championship during the 1987 school year, according to Litfin. Nuez’s days as a player were marked by success at multiple levels and schools.  

After High School, he played outfield for LA Harbor College and won a state championship. He went on to play for the Pepperdine Waves and served as a designated hitter during the 1992 National Championship.

"As a player and coach it is easy to see that Coach Nuez has a winning past and has experienced success in both roles.  He has had the opportunity to learn from some of the finest baseball minds in California, and will surround himself with a talented and multi-faceted coaching staff here at LAHS in the hopes of re-establishing a stable and strong baseball tradition,” said Litfin in a written statement. “Nuez has already started this building by engaging immediately with the summer programs at LAHS, injecting his energy and excitement into the program, introducing his staff of experienced coaches, and setting a positive tone with the players and parents about the future of Griffin Baseball.  We look forward to a strong career from new Griffin Head Coach and Teacher, Matt Nuez.”