With the retirement of Dr. Dan Smith, Russ May will be assuming the role as Interim Dean of Athletics for the 2018 fall semester. 

Also serving as the men's basketball coach, May just completed his ninth season and led the Falcons to the CCCAA State semifinals. He has led the program to three consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time since an 18-year stretch from 1982-2000. During the 2017-18 season, the Falcons won the South Coast Conference South Division and finished the season with a 27-6 mark after being defeated by San Francisco City College, 89-83 in the state semifinals. The 27 wins were the most by the program since the 1999-2000 season. During the 2016-17 season, he led the Falcons to the Southern California Regional Playoffs, where they were eliminated in the first round by Citrus College, while the season prior, they advanced to the second round before seeing their season come to an end. In his nine seasons, May has posted a 151-109 (.581) record with five South Coast Conference championships.

In his first season, May had to work with a predominantly freshmen-laden team, but still guided the team to the South Coast Conference South Division championship during the 2009-10 season and came close to advancing in the Southern California Regional Playoffs. Their year came to an end with a 67-65 loss to Mt. San Antonio College in the first round, and the team concluded with an 18-11 record. Prior to this past season, their closest bid for a CCCA State Championship appearance came during the 2013-14, when they were defeated in the third round and concluded the year with a 19-11 record.

May returned to Cerritos College after spending 10 years as the head coach of the Los Alamitos High boys’ basketball team. He was a finalist for the Cerritos job in 2008 before returning to the Falcon program in 2009 and eventually inherited a team that went 16-13 overall (including a forfeit win over Los Angeles City College) and won the conference title. May, who was also Los Alamitos High’s athletic director, resigned both positions to take over at Cerritos, where he played for two years (1989-91) and served as an assistant coach from 1994-99. May also teaches a full slate of classes at Cerritos College.

Under May, Los Alamitos won CIF crowns in 2006 (Division I-A) and 2007 (I-AA) and reached the Division I Southern California final in 2006. In 2008, the Griffins were seeded fourth in the I-AA playoffs before being upset by Lynwood in the second round. May also led his teams to nine league championships in his 10 seasons and was also named both the county and CIF Coach of the Year during his tenure with the Griffins.

As a player for the Falcons, May was a South Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore, despite missing the latter part of the season with a broken foot. The team won the conference title his freshman year, while they placed second his sophomore campaign. In his time as an assistant coach, the team won five straight conference championships and the state title in 1999, his final season as an assistant coach with the Falcons.

May then earned a scholarship to Cal Poly Pomona, where he played two more seasons. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Cal Poly Pomona, his teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach and his Master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University.

May and his wife Andrea have three children; Madison, a volleyball player at Niagara Falls University, Everett and Sydney.