Terri Bamford Court
Honoring a coach whose influence has shaped generations of Torreys.
Legendary Women’s Basketball Coach Terri Bamford has been part of the LJCDS community since 1997. Now, her name lives on at Smith Gymnasium.
On Friday, December 12, 2025, LJCDS dedicated Terri Bamford Court during a ceremony that brought together alumni spanning more than two decades, along with current players, young PE students, families, and current and former faculty and staff. It was a celebration of a coach whose impact and heart have shaped generations of Torreys.
The dedication was held before the Torreys hosted Torrey Pines High School, led by LJCDS alumna Alaysia Styles ’17 in her first year as head coach. Alaysia, a standout player under Coach Bamford, went on to play collegiately at the University of California, Berkeley, and later at Syracuse University. She represents the legacy of leadership and care that has defined Coach Bamford’s career.
“She’s a unicorn,” shares Director of Athletics and Physical Education Jeff Hutzler. “Terri has 748 career wins to date, with 647 wins from over 27 years at LJCDS. That kind of longevity just doesn’t happen anymore. And she’s not done yet. I can see her easily getting to 850-plus wins. Untouchable.”
Coach Bamford’s accomplishments are unmatched. Her teams have earned CIF and league titles, regional and state championships, ranked #1 nationally and crowned national champions, and produced five McDonald’s All-Americans. Fifty players have gone on to play college basketball, including two Olympians and three WNBA players. Last December, she became the CIF San Diego Section’s all-time wins leader in girls’ basketball. She was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame at the San Diego Sports Association in 2024 and the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. She was also named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association High School National Coach of the Year in 2020 and ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports Girls State Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2001.
Despite the long list of honors, Coach Bamford remains characteristically humble.
“The name on the court is a tribute to all the players who played for me,” she says. “I didn’t make one basket.”
That perspective helps explain why players return to campus long after graduation, invite her to weddings, and reach out for advice about far more than basketball. They don’t just remember the wins. They remember how she showed up for them, believed in them, and held them to a standard that extended beyond the court.
Terri Bamford Court honors more than an extraordinary coaching record. It recognizes a coach whose influence is measured in lives shaped, confidence built, and relationships that continue long after the final buzzer.
Read more in the Times of San Diego article.
