San Marcos High School announced the hiring of two new varsity head coaches on Friday.
Miguel Vences taking over the girls soccer program and Devin Uyesaka stepping into the head coaching role for the girls basketball team.
“Miguel and Devin both exemplify the core values that we seek in our coaches, players, and families, including a commitment to integrity and sportsmanship, building a caring and welcoming environment for athletes, and striving to have the best programs in the state,” San Marcos principal Dare Holdren said.
“As San Marcos closes out a 4th consecutive year of winning the most Channel League Athletic Titles of any school, I am excited for Miguel and Devin to add to our proud tradition, and am confident they will lead these programs to new heights.”
Miguel Vences, Girls Soccer
Vences is no stranger to the San Marcos soccer program, as he has been a coach in both the boys and girls programs since 2017.
“It’s an honor and privilege for me to be the girls soccer head coach at San Marcos,” Vences said. “I’m thankful to Principal Dare Holdren and Athletic Director Aaron Solis for the opportunity to lead the program.
“We are looking forward to putting in the work to make the school, alumni, and community proud.”
Most recently, he has served as the assistant varsity and head JV coach for the girls program. He won multiple JV Channel League championships during his time at that level.
Prior to his time with San Marcos, Vences coached for several club soccer programs in Ventura County.
“I am very excited to have Coach Vences on board,” San Marcos athletic director Aaron Solis said. “Having worked with many of the players the past couple of years, he knows what the strengths and improvement areas of the program are.
“His positive attitude and new ideas will push the team to new heights.”
Devin Uyesaka, Girls Basketball
Uyesaka is a long-standing figure in the local basketball community, having coached at all three local Channel League high schools as an assistant coach, a JV head coach and a varsity head coach.
“My staff and I are excited to be at San Marcos,” Uyesaka said. “We look forward to sustaining the success San Marcos has had on and off the court and taking the girls program to the next level.”
In fact, he served as the San Marcos girls basketball coach from 2011-2013 and was most recently the JV head coach for the Dos Pueblos boys basketball squad.
From 2014 to 2017, Uyesaka took his coaching to the golf course, where he was an assistant head coach and helped the team to back-to-back CIF-SS championships.
“I am so happy to have Devin back home,” Solis said. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the program, and I know his enthusiasm will be infectious.
“This is a great opportunity for the program to continue its improvement.”