Calabasas hires new boys' basketball coach

Jon Palarz is returning to Southern California.

Last week, Calabasas High announced the hiring of Palarz as its head boys' basketball coach.

Palarz, who didn't coach last season, previously guided North Hollywood-based Campbell Hall to a 59-28 record in the early 1990s.

"All the candidates we had for the position were very good, but what made (Palarz) stand out was his success rate and his personality," Calabasas athletic director Larry Edwards said.

"We think his personality matches very well with the environment here at Calabasas."

Edwards said Palarz will teach a social science class at CHS.

Palarz takes over for Jim Nielsen, who resigned after two years at Calabasas to take a job with Cabrillo High in Long Beach.

Nielsen leaves CHS after guiding the Coyotes to a 25-28 overall record in two seasons.

In Nielsen's two-year coaching stint, Calabasas made the playoffs once, in 2006-07, but lost in the first round to Harvard-Westlake, 73-58.

Nielsen had resigned from Calabasas after the Las Virgenes Unified School District could not come to an agreement with the school's administration regarding his probationary status.

Nielsen said Tuesday that he left CHS on good terms.

"I wish Calabasas and their new coach all the success in the world," Nielsen said.

"There were three things that made the Cabrillo job more appealing: the money, the drive to work (eight miles as opposed to 30), and actually being wanted by the people you work for."