Menlo School has hired three new varsity head coaches beginning with the winter and spring 2012-2013 season. Marc Kerrest takes over as boys' soccer head coach, Jason Orlando is the boys' lacrosse coach and Glenn Simms will manage softball.

The trio has a wealth of experience playing and coaching from youth to high school to the professional ranks.

Kerrest takes over the boys' soccer program after coaching the girls' frosh-soph team to a 14-1-3 record and co-league title. Kerrest grew up playing soccer in Saint Germain en Laye outside Paris and at The College Preparatory School in Oakland. He earned a degree in economics from Tufts University, where he played outside back for the soccer team.

Kerrest has played for Bay Oaks Premier; for SF Celtic in the SFSFL Premier Division; and, more recently, while living in New York City, he played for Hoboken FC. He holds D and C badges from the NSCAA. He teaches a possession, driven attack-minded approach to soccer, always emphasizing the success of the team as a whole.

"Marc has a thorough understanding of the sport, and Menlo's culture" Menlo Athletic Director Craig Schoof said. "He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to to return the program to the highest level."

A 6-foot-7 defender at Duke, where he earned a BA in history, Orlando played on the 2010 NCAA championship team and three semifinalist teams. He was an Academic All-Conference selection and received the Army ROTC leadership award.

Orlando has a rich background as a youth instructor for kids ages 7-18 years, and while at Duke also taught the game of lacrosse to children with special needs. Before coming to Menlo, Orlando was an assistant for Sage Hill, a private high school in Newport Coast, and spent several summers coaching with All-West Lacrosse -- a program dedicated to developing the sport in Northern California.

"Jason exhibited the confidence and the ability necessary, not only to uphold the longstanding success of Menlo lacrosse, but to take it to the next level," said Schoof. "Having served on a college champion team, played at the highest level, and coached club and school teams, he has tremendous knowledge of the game and what it takes to help student-athletes be their best."

Simms has been coaching at Menlo School for more than 15 years and coaching area school teams and club teams for more than 25 years. His experience at Menlo includes stints as head frosh-soph football, freshman basketball and volleyball, as well as an assistant for baseball, girls' basketball and volleyball.

He coached baseball at Sacred Heart Prep for seven years and Sequoia for four years. Simms, who played baseball at South Dakota State, also currently coaches club basketball and softball, and last season served as head coach of Yerba Buena High's JV football team.

"As a longtime coach at Menlo, Glenn possesses a tremendous ability to relate to student-athletes," Schoof said. "Glenn has had success in many levels of sports, and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field."

— Menlo Athletics

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