BREAKING: Three-time CIF championship coach Mike Maggiore resigns from West Covina

maggioreLongtime West Covina High School football coach Mike Maggiore announced his resignation Wednesday after 21 seasons at the school.

Maggiore guided West Covina to six league championships and three CIF championships during his time and always had the Bulldogs among the top teams in the area. But family duty calls and so he told the team of his decision on Tuesday.

“I feel like I’ve been on a treadmill and I just want to get off the treadmill and take a breath,” Maggiore said. “I’d like to say there’s something cool I’m going to be doing, like hunting. But I don’t have any plans. I just want to spend a little time with my son.”

Maggiore becomes the latest head coach to depart one of the area’s more successful programs this offseason. Earlier, La Mirada’s Mike Moschetti and Los Altos’ Dale Ziola stepped down after leading their teams to CIF championship games.

Maggiore grew up locally and was a standout football and swimmer at Edgewood High before graduating in 1985 and playing football at Oregon St. Soon after returning home following college, he was an assistant coach at West Covina before taking over the head job.

The Bulldogs won CIF championships in 2004, 2010 and 2011. The 2011 team won it’s CIF championship game over La Serna by a record score of 84-21. But those championship moments aren’t what Maggiore would call the highlights of his career.

“My favorite accomplishments are the relationships I built off the field,” he said. “When former players come back and visit and they’re doing great things. On the field, I’m proud of the fact we were competitive every year.”

Maggiore said he will return to coaching at some point and will be available to help to whoever is named his successor. Maggiore plans to remain a teacher at the school. Whether his return some day is as a head coach or as an assistant remains to be seen. But his junior-high aged son will attend West Covina when he reaches high school age.

“In 21 years of doing it, there’s been a lot of changes,” Maggiore said. “It’s a year-round thing now. I always thought if I didn’t have the energy, it’s time to get out. I know I’m going to miss it, but I think it’s a good time.”