HS FOOT: Longtime coach Engilman says this will be it

Jeff Engilman, a hard-nosed but successful coach whose style transcends a different era, says this last year at Arleta will be it for him. The 59-year-old has announced his pending retirement.

"It's been 36 years. I wanted last year to be my last year to tell you the truth," Engilman said. "But four assistants left at Arleta, so I wasn't going to leave the place with no coaches. Like I said, last year would have been a great year to go out because I saw my ninth-graders all the way through. Everyone wants to go out on top, but it didn't work out."

Engilman, who has 233 career victories, has won five City titles -- two at Manual Arts, two at Sylmar and one at Arleta, where he is 28-8 in three varsity seasons.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without football, but I'm willing to try," Engilman said. "My wife is worried, though. She thinks I'm going to get myself in trouble if I'm not coaching. There's always a time to hang it up. I don't want to be like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays and stay too long."

Engilman is one of the few area coaches to have won large-division titles at three different schools.

"I guess the biggest accomplishment is the five titles, but I've had a lot of good players along the way -- that helps," Engilman said.

-- Gerry Gittelson