Photo by Rob Varela, Ventura County Star

ROB VARELA/THE STAR Marty Lythgoe is one of five newest members of the county sports hall of fame. 3/8/12 VENTURA, CA

Ironic, isn't it?

If Marty Lythgoe thrived as the ultimate team player and consistent performer on the basketball court, in life he became as unreliable as a weather report.

If the former Ventura High standout whose mentors included the legendary Bob Tuttle ruined his own goal of becoming a basketball coach, today he shines as a "coach" with a higher calling.

"I think about that all the time," said Lythgoe, who also played three seasons at Brigham Young University. "I really feel like a greater plan is at work here.

"I always thought the best coaches were those who had a gift for communicating and getting their points across. They seem to have the 'it' factor. I like to think that I did become a coach after all these years, and that I can help the people I work with because I've been exactly where they are now."

From 1963 to 1965, the 6-foot-5 Lythgoe was a standout forward for the Ventura High boys basketball team who averaged 21 points per game and earned Channel League Player of the Year and all-CIF-Southern Section honors. In his junior season, the Cougars finished 24-5, won the Channel League championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Southern Section playoffs.

He subsequently accepted a scholarship to BYU and become a key member of the basketball team.

Then came the dark years. From 1970 through 1984, the self-described "partier" drank too much, ingested too many drugs and spent too many hazy days pursuing substance-induced binges.

Read more from the original source:
Ventura County Hall of Fame inductee Lythgoe finds higher calling