Damien makes a change at defensive coordinator …

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Damien head coach Greg Gano has let go of longtime sidekick and defensive coordinator Lee Fair and replaced him with John Carroll.

Fair had been Gano’s defensive coordinator for several years, dating back to Gano’s successful run at Los Altos. Carroll has previously been Damien’s defensive coordinator.

Gano is also reportedly looking for an offensive line and possible a quarterback coach.

Aram’s take: Fair took his share of criticism after Sparty had a costly breakdown in the final seconds in its loss to Chino Hills. Let us not forget, though, that Fair had a heckuva career and had orchestrated some monster defenses in his day. Carroll is the son of Damien AD Tom Carroll, who is a big fan of these blogs (not really). Anyway, word is the kids really like Carroll and his history with Damien ought to come in handy. As a side note, I truly hope Damien is more visible on the passing circuit this summer. I wanna see Sparty throw against CO, Amat, Monrovia and so on. They have the QB and skills to do it, so let’s do it!

Follow me on Twitter @ChemicalAT

  • jhykron

    Ah, well. Too bad it didn’t work out. Good luck to Carroll and Gano, and all the returning Damien kids.

    Guess I’ll be pacing another sideline next year.

  • Spartan’s Will Be Battling For 3rd place again

    Even with all the transfers Damien had last year they were no better than 3rd place….they will be struggling to finish 3rd again behind Charter Oak and Chino Hills.

  • Chess Game – Great Move

    Gano may not be a very good coach but he knows how to survive. Job in question, fire your long time friend and hire the AD’s son, talk about job security.

  • TeachDGame

    Interesting timing, but not overly surprising. Hoping Damien does more of the passing circuit as well. CO / CH / Damien will obviously battle it out next year for sure. Is going to be very interesting to find out who is going to sling the rock for CO…. that is what made their offense sing… Scoby is a strong RB, but has been really effective when you are defending the arm of Santiago / the feet of Santiago / then Scoby running. If it is just Scoby and his legs, is that enough? Who is going to get the ball to Bobo ?? … anyway that is some spring time reporting for you Aram ..

    CH has one of the BEST receivers in the area returning and a strong OLine, but they too are gonna need to find the new QB… Thropay the answer? we will see

    Damien returns most of the skill guy’s so not as many questions there except for who will carry the rock and a couple more receivers in the mix. Here is an interesting thought, what if Damien went to the Pistol or Spread like all the other teams in the League… all those little guy’s running around with the QB 5-7 yards back and moving… all those skill guy’s would support a West Coast offense style with multiple substitutions and “fresh legs” running around…

  • Heard it threw the grapevine

    A reliable source of mine has told me that Damien has a highly rated QB transferring into school this year.

  • Charger Dad

    It really doesn’t matter if Damien brings in a new QB, because that team lacks any toughness. It starts with the coaches and Gano is proving to be a “Company Man”. He also decided to not schedule Amat this season, but can you blame him after the beatings Sparty has taken at the hands of the Lancers.

    Don’t worry Sparty, The Chargers will represent the Sierra league and take care of Amat, while you couldn’t get it done. I think CH might beat Amat also, but that should be a tougher game.

    Next season we will take league again, with CH following right behind us, and maybe Damien third, but that’s not a lock…..Good luck Sparty

  • no-step

    John Carroll is the absolute worse choice Gano could have made for DC. He is passable as an assistant, but the man does not understand defense. Look at the disaster the defense was when he had the post with Morrison.

  • Spartan Dad

    I am a true Spartan through and through, but it has hurt me to see my Spartans become what they have with the football program. I think Gano is a good guy, but he is not the man for the job at Damien. We need a hard nose type, a no B.S. guy.

    To Charger dad, although you say what you say in a cocky and negative manner, unfortunately, there is some truth in the lack of toughness I have seen these last two years in our football program. And now with Gano making the move he made with the DC, it just looks bad.

    But don’t get too cocky Charger Dad, because you will play Amat this coming fall, and let’s see what you can really muster up. I always liked the rivalry with Amat, and it’s too bad we can’t continue playing them. Without Santiago, I see Damien giving you a serious run for the Sierra league title, not to mention Chino Hills. The Chargers are a good team, but not as good next season for sure.

  • Footballfollower

    You have to be kidding me Gano dodging AMAT as he did all those years at Los Altos. Just when you think Damien is making headway and Gano is recruiting like heck he pulls this. I guess his recruits are not good enough to play AMAT as was the case at Los Altos. I saw this coming and have told people he would cancel the game, once he recruited enough parents to run the Monsignor out of town this happened. All you parents trying to decide weather to send their son’s to Damien or AMAT take note. Gano does this all the time. As far as AMAT is concerned, even during the loosing years they scheduled up. They went after the best in the valley and continue to leave it open to any takers. The down years they beat up on CO, Glendora and Damien. Let me ask this, how do you Damien faithfuls let Gano get away with this. What a loss in revenue for Damien…..

  • SGV Follower

    To Charger Dad:

    When was the last time CO beat Amat? You guys needed to play Amat this year when you had the best team you have had in a while. Even this past season I think the game would have been super tight. Next season without Santiago, I don’t see CO rolling Amat. I’m not sure how good Amat will be next year, but I don’t see CO being anywhere near what they were this past season. It should be a good game, but I see Amat coming out ahead. I think Chino Hills has a better chance of beating Amat next season. And I see CH beating CO for league.

    Just my thoughts, but I follow SGV football pretty intensely, and I know who’s who for the most part.

  • Damien Fan

    Maybe Gano has had a rough start these last couple years, but I think all the doubters are wrong. We did improve this year, and had some very good games. We played Amat tough, and I know it was only for the first half, but we looked good. We should have beaten CH, and just let it get away in the remaining seconds. We beat JSerra, which is in the Trinity league, and they are a good team. My point is we has a good growth spurt this past season. You can criticize Gano and his staff, but he has made progress. I will not make predictions, nor put down any teams, but I do feel Damien will compete for a league championship next season. I only wish we played Amat, as I have many friends with kids at Amat, and it is always a great game for both schools. I don’t think Gano is dodging Amat, but just changing things a bit for next season. We will see Amat again in the near future.

    Spartans Fight On !

  • Football Observer

    Hey Damien Fan,

    Everyone knows the Damien /Amat game is big for both schools. So your head coach not scheduling them is a total dodge. He knows Damien can’t compete with the likes of Amat, and is tired of having the potential SGV recruits seeing this year after year. Be real, Gano is tired of getting embarrassed.

  • ahhh man

    I am so bummed Coach Lee is gone. He was such a positive role model for our boys. He really connected with them. He thought them so much on and off the field. He is will be greatly missed. Hope he knows how much we appreciate all his extra time.

    NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • BCS=BS

    New QB coach could be Lawrence from Glendora.

  • grapevine

    I heard.the new Qb were getting sucks and is only coming cuz he can’t start
    Where he’s at now. Also heard gano will get one of his old qbs from Los altos
    To be his Qb coach. If you ask me…Damien should fire gano ….Lee fair had no business getting fired…and who the hell is the ad’s son? Looks like Damien and gano are showing true colors.

    Mark my words their new Qb will be from the I.e. and he will suck it up!!!

  • QB Transfer????

    I thought they just got Pucci who transferred in. I guess Daddy didn’t grease the palms enough. I guess at Damien, even the transfers get replaced. I think having a revolving door of transfers destroys a program. From the players point of view, they work their butts off…start for a year….they get replaced by the newest transfer. I do not see any “high profile” QB’s transferring to Damien – Chino Hills, CO, Amat, West Co. – Maybe.

  • Fair Supporter

    You guys at Damien have lost a great Coach.. Coach Fair Smart STANFORD GRAD who played on the 1970-1972 Rose Bowl Football teams. he might look like a coach in your eyes but man does this man know his football and has been very successful..

  • You may be right about his past

    Fair may have a storied past but it didn’t help him and the boys at Damien at all. He put in the least amount of effort possible to get his job done. Damien doesn’t need someone like that they need someone who is willing to go the extra mile. There is a lot of un tapped potiental at Damien and its untapped for a reason. It’s not easy to get to because of the other lack of sport focus build around the students at Damien. The boys need to learn they can achieve high standards both in the field and the class room. Fair is well point the time in his career to want to work that hard and it showed. He was a fish out of water there he knew it, the kids knew it and Gano knew it. Young Carrol is the last grasp at making sure people don’t think the same of Gano. Let’s see how this plays out.

  • Footballfollower

    I remember when Gano and company were at Los Altos, the team loved and went to war for Lee Fair. Gano would stand on the sidelines letting all the coaches to their job, he was the administrator. What Gano did best was dodge all the tough teams, look back. He would only schedule one tough team or two in the pre season and never included AMAT. He would recruit all the players that would leave AMAT because they were second string and thought they should be starting. I spoke to a Damien parent when he went to Damien and Amat was on the schedule, Damien had a nice pre season schedule already in place. I told him that wouldn’t stay for long. If Gano can’t beat them he would cancel the contract, no matter what the implications would be especially if it were a school that he would compete for players with. In my opinion, to be the best you need to schedule the best. Amat may not be the best but you hear a lot coming from Damien about how we landed this player or that player and AMAT is staying put with what they have. Well Gano and Damien know that if they don’t win, players wont come. If you want to be the best then play the best or don’t tought your program as the best. Don’t dodge the best, accept the challenge.

  • What a mistake

    TeachDGame yopu couldn’t be more wrong about Fair. Your son will find out next year what a mistake you made with your back door moves. Pop Warner ain’t D2 Football. Just plain stupid to believe Fair hurt the team. I guess Pittsburg’s DC has to go as well since Tebow torched him in OT and sent the Steelers packin.

  • What a mistake

    TeachDGame yopu couldn’t be more wrong about Fair. Your son will find out next year what a mistake you made with your back door moves. Pop Warner ain’t D2 Football. Just plain stupid to believe Fair hurt the team. I guess Pittsburg’s DC has to go as well since Tebow torched him in OT and sent the Steelers packin.

  • Hahaha

    Whata a mistake. The only mistake is see is your post. Seems you don’t have your facts straight. Come back and try again after you have done a little homework on TeachDGame.

  • TeachDGame

    @ What a Mistake —– listen As#, you have no idea who the heck I am… so don’t start pointing your finger or any other digits at me. If you knew me, you would know I have ZERO PULL buddy… so don’t start talking about me making any back door moves… you are a JOKE… alas why you use a hidden screen name.

    My only comment was ” not surprising “… go ahead, look down Mr Back Door Man… you will see it. So take your smack elsewhere… unless you want to tell me to my face, but we know that aint’ gonna happen..

    Sometimes change is good, whether this one is or any others only time will tell.

    By the way… Steelers DC reference, hahaha, nice try, by the way, where was the Safety on that play… whatever MEAT….

  • LOL

    TeachDGame said:
    LOL — wow, you want to make this personal, now that is funny.

    Here is one, obviously you know who I am, and so does just about everyone else as I use my screen name which is readily known… but why don’t you MAN UP (or heck WOMAN UP maybe) and let us all know exactly who YOU ARE… then we can really make this personal…… that I can guarantee !

    You know where to find me !

    January 6, 2012 10:25 AM

    TeachDGame seems like you have a fan club.

  • You must be new

    LOL or who ever you are that has a problem with TeachDGame you have to be new around here. Teach is a well respected blogger for many years. If you want to find out who he is just google TeachDGame he is also a very well respected baseball guy who runs his own website. It just takes a tiny amount of effort and brains to connect the dots. Oh well i guess that rules you out from figuring out who he his.

  • Sparty15

    Damien is sorry??What does Gano think he’s a college coach, has to fire his DC to keep his job one more year. Gano brings no eneregy to that program. That program should be competing, and not a 3rd place team. GANO+DAMIEN+TRAVERS=Failed

  • For the Love of the game

    Teach/Jim? Respectable? Sounds like you may not have your own facts straight. My son played baseball for him in the past and his arrogance/ignorance was hardly tolerable. He passed judgment on kids while labeling them mediocre and gloated when he told players and parents to just deal with it because he was the self-proclaimed expert. Now that the shoe is on the other foot and he doesnt agree with the coaches working with his own boy predictably the Jim rules dont apply.
    His next move is extremely predictable as he will challenge me for not speaking to him directly. My response is quite simple I tried to avoid him then and I have no desire to interact with him now. I just wanted to share my view because after reading his posts it its clear his arrogance/ignorance are still in full swing.

  • Come On!

    Gano needs to get over his insecurity and start getting legitimate coaches on his staff. It’s either his old boy network or a bunch of kids. If I were him I would be looking for any guy(s)out there who are coaches first, not yes men or former Los Altos players. Also, how about some former Damien guys? I mean come on isn’t there anyone out there who went to Damien, has the right mix of intensity/maturity i.e: can coach his ass off, and would be willing to help out the school. Or is Gano afraid/not interested in that? Maybe that would expose him.

  • TeachDGame

    @ For the Love… not going to challenge you at all.

    I will make my final comment here… when did I EVER bring my son into this AT ALL? I never put in here that I don’t agree with any treatment he is receiving on this blog… so don’t you bring my SON into this ! You want to be pissed at me, fine… free will is a wonderful thing. BUT YOU LEAVE MY SON OUT OF THIS CRAP! I didn’t bring him into it, so you better not.

  • THINK ABOUT THIS

    come on ,
    Consider this , he hired the entire Amat freshman coaching staff when they were replaced at Amat . So that might tell you what Gano thinks about Damien people and their outlook or coaching football. The guy is treading water and sinking fast. This should be the make or break year. League title or step down and at least quarters in playoffs.

  • Come On!

    So are you saying Gano has a problem with Damien people or that Damien people are the problem? I’m confused by your post.

  • For the Love of the Game

    Teach/Jim you have much to say about others kids. You talk so often and so loud you cannot properly recall. Your arrogance will not allow you to see how hypocritical your statements often are. Do you need an example other than your own son well thats an easy one.
    Tell me how receptive you are for parent feedback about how you coach and run your organization. You will have none of that because you know better however you have no issues telling coaches on this blog how they should conduct their business.
    There are many more examples.

  • THINK ABOUT THIS

    come on,
    1.Former Damien guys as coaches.2. Damien people, as you can see on the blog many complain of his transfers starting in place of seniors who have given 4 years to the program only to be rewarded with a transfer playing in their place. His style of late has been build thru transfers and Damien was never big on transfers as I can recall. I would think old school Damien guys would want to do it with what they have and not transplants only because of football talent they bring. No matter what in the long run him not being able to beat Amat does not sit well with the Damien followers among other issues like the ones above .

  • LOL

    TeachDGame seems people do know who you are! Welcome to the party Jim Giles ! Yet another Damien Travel Ball coach who will make promises of funneling his athletes to Damien with out any expectations of favoritism what so ever.

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  • Just pathetic

    how long until they fire Gano? The QB they start isn’t the best on the roster. Long gone are Damien’s massive offensive and defensive lines. This guy recruits with the best of the coaches in SoCal allegedly, but all he brings in are smurf size track stars.

    As a former Damien alum and CIF champion, I am saddened to see the state of the program

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