Bio

Andy Ground returned to Saddleback prior to the 2008-09 season, replacing Bill Brummel who retired following the 2007-08 season. Since taking over the program as the sole head coach, Ground has compiled a 244-49 record in nine seasons (.833), winning a state titles in 2010 and 2015, finishing state runner-up in 2009 and 2016 and making it to the state semifinals in 2011.  In addition to team accomplishments, Ground was the state coach-of-the-year in 2011, 2015 and 2016 and the Orange Empire Conference male-sport coach-of-the-year for 2014-15.  In addition, Ground enters the 2016-17 campaign having won five straight Orange Empire Conference titles, which is the first time since Bill Brummel and Bill Mulligan combined for six in a row from 1976-77 to 1981-82.  

Ground played at Saddleback during the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons under Coach Brummel before earning a scholarship to play at the University of Hawaii-Hilo. He later played professionally in Lima, Peru, and in Bonn, Germany.

He returned to Southern California where he spent seven seasons as the varsity boys coach at Tustin High School, compiling a 154-49 record with three league titles and post-season playoff appearances in each of those seven seasons. Five of his teams reached the CIF quarterfinal round.

Ground came to Saddleback as an assistant coach in 1999 and proved to be an outstanding recruiter in addition to his coaching duties. He spent seven seasons as an assistant coach before being named co-head coach for the 2006-07 season. In those eight seasons he helped guide the Gauchos to a 215-51 overall record, five Orange Empire Conference titles, and two conference runner-up finishes. Saddleback participated in the post-season in each of those years, reaching the state tournament semifinals five times and winning the college’s first-ever state title for men’s basketball in 2001-02.

He left the program prior to the 2007-08 season and was hired as an assistant coach at Irvine Valley College, helping the Lasers to a 27-5 overall record and a runner-up finish in the Orange Empire Conference.