Football: Slowly but surely Pasadena moving along
There are two major football coaching vacancies in the West San Gabriel Valley. We've talked about the progress and near-conclusion at Temple City.
Next on deck? Pasadena.
It's been nearly two months since Kevin Mills resigned as coach at Pasadena High School. We let a month pass by to let the head men at Pasadena High figure out what they wanted to do. The update we got at the time from Pasadena High athletic director Tony Brooks who said the school was "sorting through resumes".
Got to talking to Brooks just a little while ago and not much has changed as you can tell by the same answer I got when Brooks was asked about the hiring progress:
At this point we're collecting resumes. We have quite an extensive amount of resumes. What we'll do is we'll select a committee, which we're now doing and start the interviewing process. (Pasadena High principal) Dr. (Derick) Evans has been very clear he does not want to rush into a decision and wants the committee to go over everything. He wants what's best fit for Pasadena High School. Anytime we go through something like this (Evans) is really adamant about making the right decision for the right candidate.
I replied to Brooks and said it sounded like they're at the same place they were just a few months ago and emphasized he wanted to have a field narrowed by the time they reached January.
We've made progress. The thing is there's a sentiment that we don't want to rush and that we're not trying to find the first candidate; we're trying to find the best candidates. Yes there is a patience that we are exhibiting and that we are trying to be very deliberate about this. We want to cross our "T's" and dot our "I's". We want the best fit but at the risk of sounding redundant a couple of weeks ago, you're right, we're in the same position but we've made progress in that we've accepted a lot of information on a lot of different prospects. the biggest difference is we didn't have any applications (submitted) at that time but now we have quite a number. And we're continuing to accept more. We're going to have a good candidate pool from which to select a coach. We have not made any cuts or any kind of determination at this moment. There's going to be a committee that will conduct the interviews, it will not just be one or two people. it will be a cross reference of the stake holders on this campus.
Will the coaching position come with a teaching position as well?
It depends on who is the best candidate. If it happens to be a teacher we'll go that way. That's always the best case scenario but that will not nullify those who are interested who are not teachers.
You want to take your time making the right decision but at the same time does it not put a strain on you as athletic director giving that spring football is not all that far away?
Absolutely. The thing is that, like i said, Dr. Evans is fully aware of our window that we're working under and that we're trying to put somebody in place so that the season is not stymied or hampered in any way. The way things are done kids are probably going to start their weight lifting first or second week of February. As you get closer to spring and the summer you want to start your spring ball and prepare for the summer. We're fully aware of all the time lines for football. It's not our intention to be full nonchalant or that we fall asleep on the whole matter. More than being patient or nonchalant, we want to be thorough and complete and that we have the right person for the job. We feel it's a very important position on our campus. A football coach is probably the more well-known person on campus other than the administrators. He has a big responsibility to not only put forth a good product on the field but also help young kids grow up as good young man and make good progress academically. You don't want to take this decision lightly and I think Dr. Evans is going about this the right way. He's been very clear to me that he wants to do this the right way and not rush.
How many have applied?
Probably 10-15 applicants.
Who are the 15 applicants who applied for the coaching vacancy?
You always those good questions and I'm gong to defer. You'll be the first to know as we narrow this process. I know you're very interested in this and it's an important position in this community when you think about all the things that go on in Pasadena. We want to make sure that everything is carried out properly. I'm going to hold off on that answer and tell you you'll be the first to know about where we stand on this. You won't have to be searching for me. I'll call you and let you know.
I'm holding you to it, Tony. =)
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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Phs has been terrible 4 years and will keep on being terrible for a lot more years. If a school has so much talent they can win more than just one game no matter who the coach was.
I'm reading all these point of views and I see a lot of them are missing the main point. TALENT. PHS has the ability to make a major transformation. Why? Because they have an abundance of talent that needs to be enhanced. After playing the sport, knowing the x's and o's, and watching the growth of this sport using individual talent. Credible leadership is the only thing missing from them returning to glory. Look at the basketball team. before Tucker they were mediocre and were looking to return to the glory days of coach Terzian. They may have had some decent coaches but none had the chemistry with the players like Tuck. I personally hope they get someone who's a parent because their mindset in dealing with kids would be in place. I don't think they need a drill instructor type because the kids don't have that type demeanor to handle that. If they can get someone who's outstanding quality is he's a leader of young men than San Gabriel Valley watch out.
As I mentioned a couple years ago, I've always respected how Temple City and San Marino support kids playing multiple sports. It takes leadership from the top to prevent coaches from entering pissing contests and making it about themselves rather than the kids' development.
All that said, the kids should be aware that they MAY fall behind in a respective sport relative to those kids who have dedicated more time to it, especially on the line of scrimmage.
Kids in other sports are just that - kids in "other " sports. Plenty of fballers are wrestling, playing Bball or playing soccer right now. All 3 sports are great conditioning activities.
Those who are not on these teams usually go with last period weight training. It is not the same old bench, squat, press routine of old...the coaches know to mix it up. It also is not torture, the majority of the kids just plain enjoy lifting.
Mr. Brooks is engaging in a high form of "eduspeak." Translation: We do not have the foggiest idea what we are doing and this decision is not high priority.
New York, I agree with you in a sense that weightlifting is really for all programs, but I just do not like how the coaches trap the kids by saying "you do not lift weights you do not play football" and they mean year round, and no communication with other coaches of the other sports. I am talking high school here, not college.
PHS will never ever ever ever be a powerhouse in Southern California football or even the Pasadena area. No matter who they bring in as coach that football program will not return to whatever "powerhouse" tradition they used to have.
I will be applying for the Head Coaching position at PHS and trust me, Hot Rod is 100% correct. PHS was and will again be the premier football power in the San Gabriel Valley and Southern California. Pasadena is a breeding ground for the strongest, fastest, and smartest athletes in the world and I propose that we demand the best football program possible for PHS. I graduated in 1980 and cannot imagine that we have slipped this far down the hole of apathy and mediocre play.
Hot Rod is again correct that with 3000 [2700] students, it makes no since that we cannot attract 165 students to fill a complete football program. The winning tradition needs to return to my home...
PHS!
PS: Coach Mills was the best thing that ever happened to most of his players.
bboyz65,
I'm not talking about body-building or old schools lifting programs that neglect the importance of flexibility and explosiveness. Most collegeiate sports programs I have seen (for sports ranging from football to field hockey) have some form of weightlifting program. Those teams all do weighlifting, just lighter, during their seasons as well as off-season.
I saw a recent interview with Gale Sayers...detailing how he was absolutely prohibited from any type of weight lifting throughout his NFL carrer.
The belief was it would "lock him up" and take away his trademark slashing and fluid directional changes, which left tacklers frozen in time as he blew by them.
According to Sayers he knew his knees were a "hit away" from game over for a long time. He believed had he been allowed to specifically work on leg strength - it may have prolonged his NFL career an additional 5 years.
3000 kids and they can't win the tussle? I think Mills was a very good coach and he did all that he could to help his program. I just believe that speed can only win a few games for you and he needed a few real linemen and a QB this year. Remember Muir was blowing them out and with Mills they were right there the whole game.Regarding weights,I believe that weightlifting prevents these kids from playing other sports that make up an entire program and there is too much empahsis on football.You can,t convince me that weights year round is productive to all high school kids.
PHS was a premier football school until the 1980's. Many talented PHS players went on to play for College National Championships and Super Bowls, and the school has many CIF football titles in their long history. Sadly the program has been driven into the ground by lack of leadership, focus and the negative attitude fans have for the team nowadays. Whoever takes over as coach has to attract the talent that keeps leaving our city to play football elsewhere. The school keeps growing (nearly 3000 now) and they are asking for money to build a new home stadium on campus, but no one wants to donate if the team is not competitive.
Miguel
Can you PLEASE stop using that picture we don't need any constant reminders of how pathetic we've been.
After reading those stupid answers he gave. The football coaching position shouldn't be the only Job opening at the school. Instead of throwing in a teacher position, why not include the A.D. position as well.
i guess there ad is just like there fan base! no one cares!
Lifting (football players) starts almost immediately after return to school at TC, except for those wrestling , soccering or whatever other ring they jump into. Why wait?
Is the expectation every year that weightlifting does not start until the second week of February? If so, is there a usual time of year when they stop lifting? This alone could be part of the football program's problem. Weighlifting, whether building muscle in off-season or maintaining in-season, should be done year-round.