Los Alamitos High Mourns Death of 23-Year-Old Coach

Cary Smith, the 23-year-old assistant varsity coach of the Los Alamitos High School boys lacrosse team, died in his sleep Sunday.

The cause of death is under investigation, according to Orange County Deputy Coroner Mitchell Sigal.

Smith, a Seal Beach resident, was an integral part of the Los Alamitos High School lacrosse program. A class of 2007 graduate, Smith captained the school’s first lacrosse team. After graduating from Chico State University, where he captained the Wildcats and earned the MVP title and all-league honors, he returned to Los Alamitos in 2012 and helped coach the boys varsity team to its fifth consecutive Sunset League title.

According to the Los Alamitos High School website, Smith was an ambassador of the sport with a history coaching others throughout his life. He was a coach at City of Los Alamitos summer camps, and he was the defensive coordinator for the Chico Rebels High School program while he was in college.