RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Dave Kleckner did not get into coaching for personal glory or recognition.
So when Etiwanda High School sought to honor the soon-to-retire-from-teaching boys basketball coach at a game this season, the initial thought was to keep it a secret from Kleckner because he would discourage it.
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But plans changed when Kleckner took a step back from the varsity program for the 2024-25 season to coach the freshman team, and make it clear to everyone that Danny Ryan is the head varsity coach now, not him.
They had to tell Kleckner about the event before Friday’s game against Upland to make sure he would attend. Because he wasn’t attending any varsity games even though he was reviewing film.
Then Kleckner had no choice other than to attend after not only word got out to his seven siblings (all older and originally from the Chicago area) about the event but that they would all attend.
So Friday, prior to Etiwanda’s 62-41 win over Upland, Kleckner was presented with a plaque commemorating his 28 years as a varsity head or co-head coach at the school and a tribute video that included old photos and testimonials, including former players who made it to the NBA: Darren Collison, Jeff Ayers, Jordan McLaughlin, and Kessler Edwards, as well as NFL player Marvin Jones Jr.
Some of that might have been a bit overwhelming for Kleckner, but then came the topper. Starting next season, Etiwanda’s basketball court would be emblazoned with its new name: Coach Kleck Court.
“The whole naming the court thing, that’s unheard of,” Kleckner said. “That’s an unbelievable thing that they’re doing. I remember years ago I said, ‘I’m never going to coach at another school.’ I’m true-blue, loyal to this school. They have treated me so well here. Not only have my fellow teachers been so supportive, but the administration and staff have been outstanding, and just all the way down to the district office. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“What he’s done is putting Etiwanda, in many respects, on the map and (showing) what public schools can do in many respects,” said Etiwanda principal Dr. Mac Wolfe, who has been an administrator at the school since 2016. “The legacy, I don’t think anybody will be able to duplicate it.”
Loyalty to an employer runs in the family. His brother Bill, who was at Friday’s game, was honored last month for coaching football for 50 years at Downers Grove North High School in Illinois, a ceremony that Dave attended.
“This guy doesn’t like to get recognized. (I told him), ‘you owe it to people, man. Let other people celebrate,” Bill Kleckner said, referring to Dave.
Longevity is not the only thing Kleckner had going for him.
In four years at Montclair and 28 years at Etiwanda (including two as co-coach with Ryan), Kleckner compiled 736 wins, making him one of only 23 boys basketball coaches in state history to reach the 700-win milestone, according to Calhisports.com. He won two CIF Southern Section titles in 2005 and 2013 and made it to six other finals. He also made the CIF State regional final six times, winning one in 2021.
“There’s been a lot of coaches in the history of California high school basketball that maybe didn’t get recognized like they should’ve,” said Ryan, who played for Kleckner at Montclair. “And Etiwanda and the Chaffey Joint Union High School District did right by somebody who has had such an impact at the school, as a basketball coach, as a teacher, as a community member. That was something that was well-deserved.”
Kleckner did step down as head coach at Etiwanda in 2017, but he never intended to stop coaching. He wanted Ryan (who was not teaching or coaching at the school) to get the job and Kleckner would coach alongside him. But when it became clear that Ryan would not get the job at that time, Kleckner told the school he would return.
“When I was a young coach, I initially thought I had to be Kleckner’s complete style,” Ryan said. “As I went through my career, I realized that’s not who I am. I’m not Kleckner. The philosophies of what he has taught me, being in the practices and seeing how he runs a practice, and his expectations of players, those are things I carry over. There’s only one Dave Kleckner.”
Kleckner has a strong following of assistant coaches and players who continue to support him.
“The stick-to-itiveness, the loyalty. He taught us a lot about that, from the time we were freshmen until our adult years,” said Seantrel Owens, another former Montclair player of Kleckner’s who attended Friday’s ceremony.
Kleckner has been known off the court for instilling a family atmosphere and on the court, for a tenacious, man-to-man defense, earning the program the nickname of “Clamp City.”
Friday’s game, in which the Eagles allowed only 12 first-half points and 41 in the game against Upland, was a worthy tribute to Kleckner’s legacy.
“I used it as motivation in the pregame,” Ryan said. “‘We’re honoring Coach Kleck, what more motivation do you need?’”
While Friday’s game paid tribute to Kleckner, he said he is only retiring from teaching, not coaching. He will spend more time in the off-season in Illinois, but wants to still coach at Etiwanda, whether as the freshman coach, a varsity assistant, or another role.
“I told him, ‘you’re always part of this program. You’re always welcome here,’” Ryan said. “As an assistant coach, an advisor, whatever he wants to do. If he wants to coach the freshman team, which would be amazing, he is always a part of this program as long as I am the head coach.”
Kleckner finished his playing career at Arizona State and although he had options to play professionally, he turned to coaching instead.
“I chose that (coaching) career right after I finished my playing career,” Kleckner said. “I set my mind to it. I’m grateful to not only have the (player) talent, (but parents) were so supportive of me. They pretty much turned their kids over to me and allowed me to coach them and didn’t interfere in that process.”
Friday, an entire gym full of people were able to express their gratitude for Kleckner.
