In leading up to the official start of the 2024-25 athletics campaign at Irvine Valley, which starts on Aug. 23 with the IVC women's soccer team hosting Pasadena City at 3 p.m. and the IVC women's vollyeball team playing at Moorpark at 1:00 pm, Irvine Valley's Athletic Department will count down the top 10 stories from the 2023-24 year.
The No. 6 story on the list for 2023-24 season is the legendary coaches, faculty and all-around good people that retired from the Irvine Valley athletics office this past season.
Ted Weatherford started the softball program at Irvine Valley and was a beloved member of the college. He was at Irvine Valley for 30 years after previously being at Cerritos College.
After softball, Weatherford was an integral part of Irvine Valley with running the Life Fitness Center, teaching health and kiniesology classes and spearheading an adaptive PE class on campus.
He will be missed on the IVC campus.
Jerry Hernandez completed his 28th season as the head men's basketball coach at Irvine Valley College and 38th collegiate coaching campaign at the end of the 2023-24 season.
He retired this past summer, but will remain as an associate head coach under Jason Garey, who has been a valuable member of the IVC coaching staff for both the men's and women's teams at IVC.
Hernandez passed the 500-win mark this past year.
IVC finished with an overall record of 27-5 during the 2008-09 season. The 27 wins was a school record. The team was second in the Orange Empire Conference, ranked as one of the top teams in the state and reached the regional finals of the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
In 2009-10, Irvine Valley reached the state tournament for the first time in school history. IVC won 26 games, was ranked in the top three in the state for most of the season and finished second in the Orange Empire Conference.
In 2010-11, the Lasers again made the regional finals, winning at No. 1 Mt. San Antonio to get there, and finished with a record of 23-8 overall. Sophomore forward Travis Fulton was named first team all-state, just the fifth Laser to earn that honor.
In 2011-12, Irvine Valley put together a 22-7 mark and a third-place finish in the conference. The Lasers once again made the playoffs.
IVC was ranked No. 1 in the state for the first time in program history in December of 2013. IVC finished with a record of 25-5 that year.
Twenty-three years ago, Hernandez led the Lasers to a record of 26-8 and their first-ever Orange Empire Conference title. That year Irvine Valley was ranked ninth in the final California state poll.
Hernandez has helped IVC to the playoffs in all but nine of the 25 years he was in charge of the program and his team's have won 20 or more games 10 times.
More than 115 Irvine Valley players have received scholarships at four-year colleges.
Julie Hanks, who stepped down in 2021-22 after a legendary career with the Lasers, recently celebrated her retirement from also being a faculty member and professor and leader in the athletic department at IVC.
She was the winningest women's basketball coach in Irvine Valley history.
A legend at IVC, Hanks has won titles and awards, but especially, guidied and moved on so many Irvine Valley student-athletes to continue their athletic and academic careers.
Hanks finished her 25th year with the IVC women's basketball team after the 2021-22 campaign - and it featured the program's fourth-straight Orange Empire Conference title.
She was named OEC coach of the year for the fourth yea in a fow and it was a record, four-year run.
Over her last four years, Hanks registered an incredible 100-17 record.
- 26-3 in 2021-22 (state appearance)
- 25-3 in 2019-20
- 23-6 in 2018-19
- 26-5 in 2017-18 (state appearance)
The season of 2021-22 was the best in women's basketball history at the college - IVC made the state semifinals.
Hanks, who ended with a record of 440-228 overall, guided Irvine Valley to its third California Community College Athletic Association State Championship appearance in 2021-22.
The Lasers ended with a record of 26-3 overall. IVC fell in the semifinals of state to San Joaquin Delta, 77-74, in a game that went down to the wire at West Hills Lemoore in March.
During the 2019-20 season, Irvine Valley finished with a record of 25-3 overall, won its third straight Orange Empire Conference title and reached the So. Cal. Regional Final.
A year earlier (2018-19), IVC ended with a record of 23-6, captured a conference title and reached the So. Cal. Regionals.
Irvine Valley reached the state tournament for the second time in program history during the 2017-18 season, racked up 26 wins and earned a share of the conference title under the leadership of Hanks.
Hanks also guided the Lasers to a fine season during the 2015-16 campaign. Irvine Valley finished with a record of 23-8 overall, took second in the Orange Empire Conference and made the So. Cal. Regional Final for the second straight season.
Hanks helped lead the Lasers to one of the best seasons in program history in 2014-15.
The team won 27 games, which was the second-most ever, made the So. Cal. Regional Final. IVC went 12-0 to win the OEC title and racked up several impressive individual awards, including Breanna Turner and Jordan Coleman being named honorable mention All-Americans, Turner being picked all-state and the conference MVP.
Hanks had success early on at IVC, as well.
In her first year coaching at Irvine Valley during the 1998-99 season, she helped lead the Lasers to a conference title with a record of 13-1 and the program's first trip to the state tournament at Concordia University in Irvine.
Hanks' first team finished the season with the best record in school history at 28-7.
