Pirates hire Rick Etheridge as new Cross Country coach
COSTA MESA -- After an extensive search, Orange Coast College approved the hiring of Ricardo Etheridge as the new men's and women's cross country coach.
Etheridge begins a new chapter of cross country history for the Pirates after creating a stellar prep high school program at Santiago High School in Corona, where he helped lead several of the state's top runners and their squads to league, CIF and State championships.
"Rick brings years of success to a program that is used to excelling," OCC Athletics Director, Jason Kehler, said of Etheridge. "We are looking forward to seeing what the next chapter of OCC Cross Country looks like under his guidance."
In addition to his tenure at Santiago HS, Etheridge guided the Sharks' girls squad to the 2023 CIF Championship as well as the 2023 State Championship, paced by standout runners, Rylee Blade (now at Florida State), Braelyn Combe (University of Arkansas) and current Shark, Addyson Johns, who finished 10th at the State Meet this past season as a freshman.
"Being the New Head Men's and Women's XC coach means the world to me," Etheridge said. "I am so excited to work with runners on the collegiate level. I want to prove what I can do works on any level if the athletes are willing to work hard."
In addition to his 12-year stint at Santiago HS, Etheridge has also spent previous time at the community college level, as an assistant coach at San Bernardino Valley College (2009-11) and as a head coach at Norco College (2022-26).
"My coaching style is one that motivates and inspires young people to believe in themselves and push themselves further than they ever believed they could," Etheridge said. "I coach from a mentor/transformational coaching style. I feel it is important to impact young athletes in such a way they are much better for being in the XC program and are prepared for the next phase of their lives when finished with OCC. If asked, I would hope they would say things like how I really cared for them, not just as a runner but as people. Also, how I might have inspired them to strive for greatness in every area of their lives not just in the field of competition. Perhaps how I showed them they are more capable then maybe they even believed in themselves."
Etheridge comes in with a high bar to scale over, thanks to the decades-long successful history of the OCC cross country programs, led by former head coach, Marco Ochoa. Throughout OCC's cross country history, the Pirates have won countless conference crowns and have captured 16 state championships on the women's side (most recently in 2013) and four state titles on the men's side (1981, 1999, 2003, 2004). This past season, the Pirate men finished second in the OEC, 10th in SoCals and 14th in the state, while the Pirate women captured the OEC crown, took second at SoCals and finished runner-up at the 3C2A State Championship. Leading the way for the ladies was freshman standout Jocelyn Alba, the 2026 OEC champion, who finished runner-up at SoCal Regionals and fourth at last year's State Finals.
The vision Etheridge has in mind for the Pirates moving forward is simple. "Create an environment and a culture that is conducive to positive mindset and continued growth," he said. "A team where the athletes feel welcome and can strive for excellence. Producing student-athletes with amazing grades and top-level marks to show their worth for 4-year institutions. It's about winning state championships and positioning our runners to be able to compete on the next level for a 4-year university. Showing the level of excellence that is expected of Orange Coast College programs."
Rick's guidance over his tenure at Santiago HS earned him the 2023 Inland Empire Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year award as well as the 2023 California State Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year as the Sharks claimed both CIF and State titles that season. In 2025, he was also named the Inland Empire Track and Field Coach of the Year. That year, his 4x800 relay squad earned the second of back-to-back state titles as well as a 2025 Nike National Championship. His girls' distance medley relay also earned Nike National Championship honors.
