Steve Baik has been appointed as the new boys basketball coach at Calabasas High, succeeding Jon Palarz, who steered the program for 17 years and captured eight Marmonte League titles, including CIF championships in 2012 and 2014.
Baik’s coaching résumé reads like a chronicle of Southern California basketball excellence. He previously guided the Ball family’s Chino Hills program to a perfect 35‑0 season in 2015‑16, a run that culminated in a CIF State Open Division title and a No. 1 national ranking by MaxPreps.
Before that, he captured a City Section Open Division championship at Fairfax High in 2019, a feat that made him the only coach in CIF history to win both a Southern Section and a City Section crown in the highest divisions.
A Family‑Driven Homecoming
The move back to Calabasas was not merely professional; it was personal. Baik cited a desire to be nearer to his wife and their four children — two boys aged 15 and 10, and two daughters aged 8 and 5 — as the primary catalyst for his return.
The Calabasas community has greeted the news with optimism. Long‑time supporters recall the school’s own CIF triumphs under Palarz and see Baik’s arrival as a chance to blend that tradition with his proven ability to develop elite talent.
Looking Ahead
While the expectations are high, Baik remains focused on building a sustainable program that emphasizes growth, discipline, and academic balance. He joins a lineage of coaches who have leveraged the region’s basketball passion to produce not just wins, but well‑rounded student‑athletes.