WARRIOR COUNTRY
CURTIS ALLEN
WESTLAKE BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
Head Coach Curtis Allen enters his second season at the helm of the Westlake High School boys basketball program. In his first year leading the Warriors, Allen guided the team to a 19–11 record, a second-place finish in the Marmonte League, and a berth in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs, where Westlake battled Inglewood in the opening round.
Coach Allen brings a wealth of experience from an accomplished collegiate coaching career and standout playing days.
Allen was a standout guard at the University of Washington under Lorenzo Romar, where he set the school record for free throw accuracy at 86.7% and ranks second all-time in three-pointers made. He appeared in 117 career games, including 51 starts, and helped lead the Huskies to the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
His coaching journey began as an assistant at University Prep in Seattle before joining Portland State University, where he helped the program capture back-to-back Big Sky Conference Tournament championships and earn NCAA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009.
Allen then spent nine seasons at Washington State University, where he was part of a staff that produced a 22-win campaign in 2010–11, advancing to both the NIT semifinals and CBI championship round. During his tenure, he also coached future NBA All-Star Klay Thompson.
Most recently, Allen spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Pepperdine University, where he played a key role in one of the nation’s most notable program turnarounds. In 2018–19, he helped the Waves improve their win total by 10 games, and in 2021, Pepperdine captured the College Basketball Invitational championship.
“I couldn’t be more excited to continue building on the foundation we’ve started here at Westlake,” said Allen. “This program has tremendous potential, and I’m proud of the direction we’re heading.”
A native of Tacoma, Washington, Allen graduated from the University of Washington in 2005 with a degree in general studies. He now resides in the Conejo Valley with his wife, Alissa, and their three sons — Trey, Noah, and Jalen. In his free time, Coach Allen enjoys golf and spending quality time with his family.
Westlake High School is proud to have Coach Allen leading the boys basketball program and looks forward to continued growth and success under his leadership.
Owen Ryan
JV HEAD COACH
Coach Ryan is entering his tenth year with Westlake Basketball as the Head JV Coach
Bringing three decades of experience to the court, Coach Ryan began his coaching career in his early twenties with his two younger brothers. After coaching boys and girls in grades 4 through 12 for the Newbury Park Basketball Association, Coach Ryan took a job at his alma mater, Newbury Park High School. While there, he coached at all levels, progressing from Freshmen Head Coach to Varsity Assistant.
During his nine seasons at Westlake, Coach Ryan has earned Ventura County Coach of the Year and has been named the Marmonte League Coach of the Year four times. He is excited about his tenth campaign coaching at Westlake as the team has a nice combination of shooting, athleticism, grit, and team chemistry.
Off the court, Coach Ryan teaches U.S. History, Economics, and U.S. Government at Century Academy (CVUSD's blended learning program), where he also advises the Yearbook and Student Government classes. He is also a competitive axe thrower and is currently ranked in the top 10% in the world.
Jamel Morgan
VARSITY ASSISTANT COACH
This is Coach Morgan's ninth year with Westlake Basketball.
Coach Morgan is in his seventh year of coaching at Westlake High School, which included one year as the Head Freshmen Coach and is now in his fifth year as the Assistant Varsity Coach and oversees player development. He played four years of varsity basketball at Coronado High School in Henderson, Nevada
Coach Morgan played basketball at UNLV for two years. He then played one year at Pierce College and finished his college playing career at Division II Cal State LA. After his senior year in college, he was invited to multiple different NBA champs. He decided to play professional basketball overseas in a few different countries. Coach Morgan also loves competing in the Drew League, playing with and against the top pro-am players in the world.
When Coach Morgan is not coaching, he enjoys time at home with his two daughters, Aubrey, and Zoey.
Lee Garson
VARSITY ASSISTANT COACH
This is Coach Garson’s twelfth year as an Assistant Coach at Westlake High School.
Coach Garson has coached club basketball for over 30 years, coaching teams in the Valley Conference, American Roundball (ARC), and, currently, Basketball Training Institute (BTI).
He has coached three teams that qualified for AAU Nationals, making the Final 4 in 2008. In 2011, Coach Garson earned Ventura County Frosh-Soph Coach of the Year.
Among the players whom Coach Garson has coached are Gilbert Arenas (U. of Arizona, NBA); Pac-12 players Parker Jackson- Cartwright (U. of Arizona), Robert Cartwright (Stanford), and Tyler Dorsey (Oregon-Atlanta Hawks); Miye Oni (Yale-Utah Jazz), Zaire Williams (Stanford-Brooklyn Nets), as well as many other players who are currently playing or played varsity basketball in the greater Los Angeles/Ventura County area.
Additionally, Coach Garson has coached 13 teams in the Maccabi JCC Games, winning seven gold medals, four silver medals, and one bronze medal.
Coach Garson grew up in the San Fernando Valley, graduating from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys. He attended UC Berkeley, where he played freshman basketball before transferring to UCLA.
After graduating from UCLA, Coach Garson attended Southwestern School of Law, obtaining a Juris Doctor Degree.
Coach Garson’s son, Chad, played baseball at U. of Michigan and is now President of Chadpak Co., Inc. Coach Garson’s son Scott was an Asst. Coach at Utah, UCLA, Santa Clara, the Head Basketball Coach at College of Idaho and is currently the Associate Head Coach at UNLV.
Coach Garson owns two companies in the Los Angeles area, Chadpak Co., Inc., and Blisterpak, Inc., involved in the manufacture and sales of visual display packaging.
