The next generation of head coaches in Santa Clarita Valley for boys’ basketball has arrived.
At 24 years old, Miguel Mayorga is set to become the youngest ever head coach in boys’ basketball Foothill League history as the Hart graduate takes over the Golden Valley Grizzlies.
Mayorga understands that with being young, there can be challenges for a first-year head coach. But Mayorga believes his youth and experience can make Golden Valley a program that’s set up to win long-term.
“This is my first year, so you know I have a lot to prove myself,” Mayorda said in an interview with The Signal. “But this is a dream come true. A lot of times people will tell you, ‘Hey you’re too young,’ but Principal (Jennifer) Ambrose, Kerri Johnson (athletic director), and (Assistant Principal) Chris Printz believe in me. And I’m going to work hard to show why I’m the right person for the job.”
Mayorga, who’s a Hart High graduate, takes over the Grizzlies job with experience having already coached for Golden Valley’s lower levels.
But before Mayorga began his coaching stint with the Grizzlies, he was a player at Hart High School under Tom Kelly.
Mayorga added that he learned a lot about playing basketball in the Santa Clarita Valley under Kelly’s leadership along with the idea of establishing organization and discipline for a high school program.
“Coach Kelly, he runs a family environment out there,” Mayorga said. “You couldn’t wear purple socks or any other colored socks other than black or white. But I also learned a lot from Printz as well. Both of them taught me a lot and I put it all together into one.”
During the 2025-26 season, Mayorga served as a varsity assistant in Golden Valley’s program under Chris Printz and led the Grizzlies to their first outright Foothill League title since 2009.
While Mayorga coached alongside Printz on the main team, he also served as the head coach for the junior varsity side in addition to helping with the varsity roster. With the role, Mayorga added it really helped him understand the day-to-day task of being a coach.
“It helped me with the little things you have to do as a head coach,” he said. “Again, a lot of credit to Printz because I would ask him a lot of questions. I’d bother him a lot in his office, asking what I can do. So, I give him a lot of credit and prepared me to be ready at a young age.”
During his time in the lower levels, Mayorga led the junior varsity team to a 23-2 overall record and undefeated league championship in the 2025-26 season.
Mayorga said with the opportunity to coach both in the varsity and lower level he worked on his skills as a coach and established a strong foundation for many of next season’s returners, including reigning Foothill League player of the year Donovan Webb.
“I’m very confident. You know, when you have the returning player of the year, it makes your job easier as a head coach,” Mayorga said on next season’s expectations. “But when you have guys that are bought into their roles, it makes your job easier … the chemistry goes a long way and I’m confident we can compete.”
This season, the Grizzlies will look to win back-to-back league titles for the first time since the 2009-10 seasons.
For Mayorga, winning the Foothill League is one of many goals he set for the team as he’s looking to establish a culture within the team that competes for championships and develops student athletes for years to come.
“The main goal is to always win league, but I’ve told my guys our standard is to go further than that,” he said. “For me, it’s my first year to prove a lot. So, if I can have a good year and have my lower levels get better in which the outcome will show on the varsity level, that’s all I care about. So, the little things matter.”
