(UPDATED) Rumor Control: Pickens staying put

I KNOW MIKE MCFARLAND. HE IS A HELL OF A GUY THAT KNOWS THE GAME. HE DEFINITELY WAS A GOOD HIRE ALTHOUGH THE MORE POPULAR PICKS TO THE COMMUNITY WERE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF DOING A SOUND JOB AS WELL. CONTRARY TO WHAT THE SO CALLED REALIST IS IMPLYING THAT PHS NEEDED SOME APACHE HELP WHEN IN MY ERA WE SMASHED THEM IN EVERY SPORT IMAGINEABLE. SO DONT MAKE IT A SCHOOL VS SCHOOL THING BUT A GOOD MAN GETTING A JOB THAT HAPPENS TO BE AN ALUMNI OF LOL ARCADIA. THE ONLY MISTAKE THAT HE CAN MAKE IS TO NOT BRING IN A COACHING STAFF THAT IS KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE GAME BUT ALSO CAN RELATE TO THE CURRENT CROP OF KIDS THAT ARE AT THE SCHOOL.

RE: Who the Heck is McFarland

McFarland is an outstanding hire for PHS. They finally made a great choice unlike their choice for Baseball coach!!! Mike was a great football player in high school, he was the type of kid who played with heart and never made excuses. He has carried his work ethic and positive attitude into coaching. He's been a high school Def. and Off coordinator throughout the SGV. He's coached at Keppel, AHS and Muir, he continued his coaching career at the college level at Oxy, Minnesota State University-Moorhead and I believe one other Div. II college. He knows the entire game of football as well as anyone and will instill pride back into a program that has struggled over the years.

Congrats Mike Proud of ya bud!!!

No Apaches Down!

Hey INFO,

Based on your criteria of TCUSD "settling" on Backus as HC, then they also "settled" on M.J. King as Principal when Plutko, Mooney, Gray, etc. moved on. Where was the search? TCUSD Also "settled on Vandy as AD. At least Backus understood the complexities of the head coach position and football. On the other hand, M.J. King and AD Vandy are focused on "sideline control" and who should be given "sideline passes." Puhleeze! Backus kept the Ram Football Program from bursting like a broken dam and was moving foreward with building a component coaching staff. Now, with a new hire, there won't be any connection with the positive direction that was in place. Vandy does not like any of the previous staff (Frosh, JV, Varsity) and wishes to clean house. All that was built in the past ten years (4 RHL Titles, CIF home victories [caSh!], packed stands) will be washed away and that includes hard work, dedication, and planning. The FB program will resemble the rest of the athletic programs at TCHS: a RHL title once in awhile/a CIF victory once in a while. Outside of baseball, what TCHS is succesful on a consistent basis?

INFO, no need for GA to repsond to my comment. I'm sure as wise as GA is that he is able to read between the lines. RB was very good for the TC program, that man did more for the program than any single coach since Mr. H. himself. Been There, seen it and experienced it first hand, did you?

INFO, no need for GA to repsond to my comment. I'm sure as wise as GA is that he is able to read between the lines. RB was very good for the TC program, that man did more for the program than any single coach since Mr. H. himself. Been There, seen it and experienced it first hand, did you?

Sorry GA,

I meant his actions were troubling and gave a black eye to the program for a bit. But WE are trying to move forward now. I do respect Backus. I see you never responded to Been There, Seen That. Maybe you should defend you've beloved Backus to him too.

INFO

When you call a man a failure, a black eye, troubled and say he was chosen as coach only out of desperation...then state "you respect him" it confuses a public school educated person like myself.

Been there seen that. All the TC coaches have been above average. GA don't get too upset I respect Backus and what he did for my son. All I was saying was that his actions were a black eye to the program that led us to where we are now.

The freshman coahing job on the CIF website was for Maranatha freshman basketball. My bad.

No freshman team being put toegether at Maranatha. There would be no place for them to practice

Hey INFO, why don't you poll past TC coaches and ask them what they think of RB and the "Mooney era" You would really be surprised by some of the honest comments.....

I'm just say'in at 9:56am

Maranatha is hiring a freshman football coach? They intend to field a freshman team?

INFO

Backus, a black eye to the Rams program?
Well, your ID is out in the open.

Tough dudes don't fear a black eye, it is the trademark stab in the back that is hard to recover from.

Your summary and comments speak for themself.

Miquel

please check the blog editor for my reply to INFO, the troubled one

Mike Mcfarland is an ex Arcadia grad, who wasn't much of an athlete, but has proving to be a pretty good coach. He will demand discipline and organization which the players at Pasadena need more then anything. That would be the 2nd Arcadia grad they have hired over the last year and it is obviouos the baseball program has improved tremendously..........

INFO

Thanks for making your identity clear.

Yours is the opinion of one, not many. Your negative tone and cheap shots - partly truth and partly fiction, but mostly stink of bad blood. Apparently each time I praise RB, it just fires you up.

What fool can possibly say "it cannot get any worse"- following the Rams first semi-final appearance in 10 years??

Remember the majority of readership here is football savvy. You do not get a game away from the crown with poor coaching.

I stand by my comments.

Rosemead DC is paramo. he will NOT be the TC head Coach

Miguel,
When reporting, report accurately. It was not just a varsity football job that was listed as you stated in your update, it was the varsity head coaching job at Marshall that was listed on the CIF website. In your update you state “The school posted an ad in the "coaches wanted" section but the website accidentally listed an ad for a varsity coach”. Again the opening was for the varsity head coaching position. Don't make excuses for an inept administration that either made a mistake or did not know what they were doing; it is what it is report it that way. I saw a listing for a freshman coach at Maranatha on that site on the same day, it was listed correctly. You created a thread and made it seem like bloggers did not know what they were talking about, calling bloggers “silly rabbits”. Then after finding out you were wrong you made excuses for Marshall. This is a very small community and many bloggers are in the know and very educated sports fans. Marshall’s administration should log on to the blog and thank bloggers for catching their mistake saving them time and energy.

Word on the campus of TC is that the ADMIN will be introducing Rosemead's DC as the new HC of the Rams. (Long shot just might be the fellow from aka San Diego/Arcadia)

RB, if you read this give Kof a call, I'm sure he will be glad to sit down with you and talk shop.

Boy would I love to see what RB could do at Rosemead with the type of players they get year in and year out.

GoldenArm,

We have traded info on here some new some old. But with this last post, I have to Disagree. In the other posts you said that Backus was "awarded" with the Head Coaching Position. actually from my sources, TC settled on Backus you don't have a choice of anyone else in June. TC had a hard time accepting Backus, and for what occurred,they were right. Mooney was and will forever be remembered at TC as a very successful Head Coach with all the qualities. Backus will be remembered as the troubled one, who although pushed the kids on the field and in the classroom, failed to understand the complexity of being a Head Coach and the professionalism required. TC has had talent the past two years and has been in the division where we could compete and win playoff games that is on the kids playing not on Backus coaching alone, he missed most of those playoff games.

I was also there at the banquet where we did give Backus a great standing ovation for what he has done and for the 14 years of service he has committed to our program and school, but I was not standing for the black eye he has given this program or to show the TCUSD administration that they made a mistake. TC football has had too many ups and down the past two years with Backus at the Helm and this is a new start for our program, school, and community.

You continue to mention that none of the new candidates are not better then what we HAD, and by that I hope you are referring to Mooney because it could not get any worse than the past 2 years. yes Backus was a good average coach who will continue to be respected amongst his peers, but we all cannot forget what situation he has put us in.

Good Luck to the New TC Head Coach you have our full support and I will await the announcement and attend every game as I have for the past years

Stang Fan,

Cathedral fans were irate with coaching last season, I know because I work with a Cathedral parent. They had better tighten jocks seriously with that realignment.
Some scary new enemies coming their way.

This is pasted from an earlier post on another topic.
With the new hire soon to announced, guess it is time
to say:

It is truly and unfortunately (regarding head coach Backus) time to move on. That said I must say:

Coach Backus was awarded the head coaching job in the wake of one of TC's most well liked and successful -Mike Mooney. Pretty tough act to follow.
In two years it was no cake walk for Coach Backus.

Year 1 he is diagnosed with cancer, year 2 he gets suspended. He endured this and much more, and his Rams this year ran all the way to the CIF semi-finals, and like the playoff year before, lost to the eventual CIF champions. (Bishop Diego and Paraclete)
Then comes word of his dismissal.
The banquet follows, where a couple All CIF, All League, All Area players step to the mic and directly credit Backus with pushing them, focusing them and being in their corner relentlessly. This is followed by 21 of his 36 players standing as 3.0 and above students, several 4.0 and then the king, a 4.5 GPA dude.
Next, though expected,it still comes as a surprise. With the recently terminated Backus standing quietly aside, the entire squad stands, initiating a loud, clapping standing ovation...and the ovation soon spreads to all in the room. Pretty intense.

He was never my favorite coach. But, he was an outstanding coach. He made good kids better, both as players and people.

Temple City quit on him, he never quit on Temple City.
Good luck to Randy Backus.

GA

Like Skynet, the blog censorship machine has now become fully aware, and in an attempt to protect itself and PSN, has begun nuking even the mildest comments and posts which bloggers are submitting.

Miquel

I had the same experience when I went to the PHS site.
Pretty impressive alumni page though

Things just got a little interesting for St. Francis.

It appears as if three new schools will be joining the Mission League in 2010. Alemany is headed to the Serra League, to catch MAJOR a$$ whoopin's in the Pac-5, while Gardena Serra, Cathedral, and Harvard-Westlake will all be joining the Mission league with SF, St. Paul and Chaminade.

This means that the Mission will now get 3 teams into the playoffs as opposed to 2. It also will get rid of the at-large bid in the Western division playoffs, which the Mission usually got anyways.

Both Serra and Cathedral are on the rise and have some pretty DAMN GOOD athletes, so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

I tried going to this pasadena bulldogs website and I saw the Grid Iron icon near the bottom but apparently you have to not only sign up but also be a Pasadena alumni. I was going to do it but I withdrew my request. I'll have more on this subject soon.

Stangfan

if you want know how Huckster feels look at pasadenabulldogs.ning.com go to the grid-iron section and you'll see. This guy has ties to the area through John Muir other than that we'll have to wait and see hopefully not through an 0-10 season

How kind you are Miguel, the website messed it up? the website does not enter information the school does.

Is there a full moon tonight I agree with Stangfan. Stangfan you are right, unless you have someone like Tip at the head your not going to get much out of Marshall. When you have to rely on CIF posting to get the majority of your staff in basically April you are in big trouble. 2 wins tops in 2009/2010 which would put Marshall at 4 and 46 over a 5 year span. Face it Marshall is not going to win with Gustin running the administration part and Picken running the team. What was the word you used Stangfan "acuman", intelligence, sharpness, insight etc... both are in over their head.

Miguel, who is this Mcfarland guy?

I heard yesterday that McFarland was hired at PHS. At least that's what the football players are saying.. Who is he???

Just wanted to congratulate all bloggers on keeping this blog on the up-and-up. Apparently due to a few idiots over on the east side blog, Freddie J has resorted to strong measures to weed out the a-holes. If the worst thing Miguel has to worry about is "anonymous" posters, then I guess we are doing okay! Great job west side!

As far as Marshall is concerned, that is a TOUGH gig. Few have what it takes to turn that school around, and Coach Tip did a masterful job there. The football acumen of the current staff is, well.....not quite up to par. They won't win more than 1 or 2 games and should be scheduling the likes of Mark Keppel every year. For Coach Pickens to suggest that Marshall can be one of the best programs in Pasadena is a LITTLE MORE than a stretch of the imagination, although I wish the program the best of luck.

Mike McFarland to phs? Interesting.......

I wonder how our boy The Huckster feels about that?

CIF just changed the posting, now it shows asst not head.

Well either Pickens or Taylor don't know how to fill out a request for a coach from CIF because as we speak the head varsity football coaching position at Marshall is posted on the CIF website. Miguel the opening states to contact Jason Taylor so that's who you need to talk to. Remember Boccia at Blair fired a bunch of coaches a couple of years ago and he never told them. How did they find out? By visiting the CIF website and seeing their job posted, the head basketball coach White was one of the coaches.

I was your anon from earlier about the coaching situation. wasn't trying to upstage you that's why i kept it anon. but good looking into the situation I knew you would.