“Brain surgery is not a walk in the park,” Jeff said. “He’s doing much better.”
Orris’ condition is listed as good, Tiffany Lang, a hospital spokesperson, said Friday.
Orris, who has been at CdM for 38 years teaching math, serving as the boys’ varsity basketball coach from 1986 to 2001, and now athletic director since last year, said recently that he has one more year left before retiring.
Ogden said Orris, who coached teams to five CIF Southern Section title games, including two titles, is cognizant and has walked and talked after the surgery.
“His only complaints have been the strong headaches which doctors have said are normal after going through surgery to treat a brain aneurysm because of the blood flowing through the brain,” said Ogden, who added that Orris passed three neurological tests with flying colors.
“It was kind of hard to see the big fella lying down and not being his chipper self,” Ogden said. “I was expecting to see him at the [boys’ CIF Division III-A quarterfinal] basketball playoff game Tuesday night.
“His wife Betsy and I were joking that Paul would be at [CdM’s Division I] water polo championship game against Newport [Harbor tonight], saying, ‘You better tie him down because he might want to go.’ We agreed that we weren’t going to tell him about the game. He needs to rest.”
Jeff said there is no timetable as to when his father will resume his athletic director duties. The Sea Kings have two high-profile head coaching openings, football and girls’ volleyball, that Orris said recently he hoped the school would fill by March.
Now with Orris hospitalized and CdM Principal Fal Asrani out of the country dealing with a personal matter, the school most likely will push back the hiring dates for both jobs.
