Coaches

Katey Thompson

Varsity Head Coach

kateythmpsn@yahoo.com

Coach Thompson is entering her fourth season as the head coach for the Corona Del Mar Sea Kings. Last year, the Sea Kings finished tied for third in CIF and the State Regional Playoffs. In her second season, she led the Sea Kings to a CIF Final and State Regional Semi- Finals Appearance.

Coach Thompson grew up in Newport and attended Newport Harbor where she played volleyball for Dan Glenn; graduating in 2010. In her senior season, the team won CIF and a State Championship. As a result, Katey became Sunset League MVP and CIF Player of the Year. She attended UCSB for all four years on a full athletic scholarship. Katey topped off her senior year at UCSB winning the Big West Conference Title. After college, Katey coached at Newport Harbor under Dan Glenn for the girls and Rocky Ciarelli for the boys, for four years.

In 2022, Katey coached at Orange Coast Volleyball Club as the 18-1s Head Coach, where they won 1st Place in the Open Division at Junior Nationals. In 2021, as the coach of the 17-1s they won Third Place in the Open Division at Junior Nationals.

Outside of volleyball, Katey is a 5th-grade teacher in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. She was recently named Teacher of the Year and recognized as one of Orange County’s Top 10 Teachers by OC Parenting Magazine. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration.

Katey’s greatest joy is being a mom to her daughter, Scottie, born in December 2025. Her husband, Mason, is a proud supporter of CDM Volleyball and serves as the program’s lifting coach.

Coach Thompson is proud to be a part of this prestigious program and carry on the Sea King tradition.

Sam Stafford

Varsity Assistant

Sam Stafford has been with the CdM volleyball program for the past twelve years. He has coached both Frosh/Soph and JV teams and has led them all to league championships and tournament titles. This is his sixth year as Assistant Varsity Coach. Sam has also coached for the Newport Harbor High School girls’ volleyball program with Coach Dan Glenn. Recently Sam coached the CdM Girls’s Volleyball program with Coach Steve Astor.

While a student at CDM, Coach Stafford played all four years as a setter, and played on the teams that won CIF Championships in 2005 and 2007.

Coach Stafford is excited to join his alma mater as a Physical Education Teacher.

Nick Hannaman

Varsity Assistant

Nick played under the late, great Rocky Ciarelli in high school before continuing his volleyball career at the University of Hawaii. He went on to compete professionally on the beach both domestically and internationally, for 10 years. Now in his fourth year at CDM, he brings over 25 years of coaching experience at various schools and clubs. He resides in Eastbluff with his wife and three kids.

Aubrey Caires

Varsity Assistant & Junior Varsity Head Coach

Aubrey Caires is in her second year at CDM as both a JV coach and varsity assistant. Aubrey has coached boys and girls volleyball at Diamond Ranch High School and most recently at Tustin High School. In her time at Tustin, her JV team won league, and she took her Varsity boys team to CIF in both of her first 2 years as an interim head coach. Aubrey also briefly coached club at Pulse in 2023. She has coached a variety of teams and youth sports for 10 years in addition to her own playing experience. Aubrey attended and played at Whittier College where she was a part of the team who went to the NCAA Division 3 National Championship Tournament for the first time in program history. At Whittier, she received a Bachelor’s in kinesiology with a minor in organizational leadership. Aubrey has also earned her Master’s degree in exercise science with an emphasis in strength and conditioning. Prior to college, Aubrey attended and played at Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada.

Curt Hanson

Varsity Assistant Coach

Curt Hanson returns to the Corona Del Mar High School Boys Volleyball Program for the second time in his distinguished coaching career in Orange County.

A graduate of Costa Mesa High School, Curt founded the school’s boys volleyball program before continuing his academic and athletic career at California State University, Long Beach. During his time there, he enjoyed a successful collegiate career and earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree.

Over the past 47 years, Curt has coached at every level of the sport including club, high school, junior college and collegiate volleyball, building a legacy of leadership and dedication to the game.

Curt has been married to his wife, Karen, for nearly 30 years. They reside in Costa Mesa and are proud parents of four children and seven grandchildren.

Patrick Paragas

Frosh Soph Head Coach

Patrick Paragas is a Corona del Mar High School alumnus who played setter for four years under Coach Steve Conti, reaching the CIF Finals all four seasons with multiple Regional and State Championship appearances. He earned two-time All-League, All-CIF, and two-time All-County honors, and recorded 64 assists in the CIF Finals against Newport Harbor.

After high school, Patrick played at the Division I level at UC Santa Barbara, where he started as the team’s setter and led the Big West in several statistical categories, earning AVCA All-American Honorable Mention and All-Big West honors in 2022. He then transferred to The Master’s University, where he set a program record with 977 assists and was named both the NAIA National Player of the Year and the AVCA NAIA National Player of the Year in 2024, along with NAIA First Team All-American and AVCA First Team All-American selections.

Patrick also competed in club volleyball with 949 Volleyball Club, winning four gold medals and three MVP awards. He brings a setter’s understanding of the game to his coaching — emphasizing fundamentals, footwork, decision-making, and competitive reps. He is passionate about developing young players both on and off the court, grounding his coaching in character development and team-first mentality.

He is a CDM Sea King through and through, and honored to be coaching at the school where his playing career began.

Stephan Rivas, ATC

Athletic Trainer

I graduated Cum Laude from Illinois State university in 2015 and recieved my Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training. While attending Illinois State, I obtained 3000 clinical hours rotating several site rotations under various Certified Athletic Trainers. These sites included high school, NCAA Division I, and Division III sports. In addition, I completed a summer internship with the Chicago Bears in 2014 and spring of 2015. From there, I went on to receive a post-professional Master of Science degree in Athletic Training from Texas State University in 2017. While attending Texas State University, I worked as a full-time Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer for the university’s softball team. In the summer of 2017, I solely cared for the “Texas Charge” – a professional summer league softball team. I also have experience working with youth sports, industrial work sites, an outpatient physical therapy clinic, and two high schools including Corona Del Mar High School. I am a published author in three sports medicine journals. My treatment approach is centered on corrective exercises that are supplemented with soft tissue release techniques, stretching, and modalities. When I am not at work I enjoy surfing, exercising, and playing guitar. I am very grateful to be working with the athletes at CDM! I hope I add a positive experience to your child’s time here.

Go Seakings!