Palos Verdes will turn to a familiar face and a proven winner to lead its football program.
Guy Gardner, a longtime South Bay assistant coach who firmly established his head coaching credentials at Garden Grove Pacifica, was chosen as Palos Verdes' next football coach, Principal Chris Bowles confirmed Thursday.
Palos Verdes, one year removed from a Bay League title, endured a 2-8 campaign last season, but Gardner remains optimistic about a quick turnaround.
"The expectations are high here, and I think they should be," Gardner said. "I'm not thinking there's a lot of so-called 'things' to fix. We're going to work really hard and see what we can do."
Gardner, 43, will meet the team for the first time today and begin the transition process from Pat Fresch, a coach who started the program from scratch and with whom Gardner served as an assistant coach in Palos Verdes' return to varsity in 2003.
"We think Guy Gardner is the right guy to bring us to the next level, and we're excited to have him," Principal Chris Bowles said. "We have tremendous respect for Pat Fresch and where he brought the PV program.
"It is where it is today because of all the hard work and passion he had for football and our players. He's the greatest guy, and he'll always be a Sea King."
Bowles did not reveal the number of applicants the school received after Fresch was fired Dec. 15, but said Palos Verdes narrowed it down to two candidates for interviews.
Bowles said Palos Verdes was fortunate to get a coach like Gardner, who will also be a social studies teacher.
"Guy wants to build a quality program, and I think he's going to settle in at PV," Bowles said. "He's very organized and very disciplined, but at the same time, he will make it a very positive experience for our players. He's going to help the kids reach their full potential."
Gardner has won league championships in four of the past five seasons at Garden Grove Pacifica, leading the Mariners to the CIF Southern Section Southern Division title game in 2007.
Gardner left Palos Verdes in 2003 to take over Pacifica for Bill Craven, a 28-year veteran who was the second winningest coach in Orange County history. He was 39-21 in five seasons.
Yet the commute from his Redondo Beach home to Garden Grove became a challenge, especially with a daughter, 11, and son, 8, at home.
So when an opportunity to coach and teach closer to home presented itself, Gardner jumped at it.
"Location -- that's the main reason," Gardner said. "I'm a South Bay native, and in the back of my head, I always wanted to come home.
"I'm not regarding this as a temporary move. I can't foresee a move after this. A lot of thought went into it, and it's where I plan on being for a long time"
Gardner also was as an assistant coach at Mira Costa from 1989 to 1998, serving under Larry Petrel, Bill Lisle and the last six under Don Morrow. The Mustangs won two CIF titles in four appearances during that time.
"That's where I started," Gardner said. "I feel fortunate to have coached under all three of those guys. I learned a lot under all of them."
Gardner will still have to commute from Garden Grove to Palos Verdes when spring practice begins as he finishes the teaching year, but said he is excited about getting started.
Gardner said he plans to use a multiple offense at PV.
"I'll try to be pretty flexible based on the talent we have," Gardner said. "I know we're going to have to establish the run for the Bay League, but I strive for 50-50 run and pass.
"I've learned that any success we have is the result of the work we're putting in, and we are going to work as hard as we can."
Guy Gardner, a longtime South Bay assistant coach who firmly established his head coaching credentials at Garden Grove Pacifica, was chosen as Palos Verdes' next football coach, Principal Chris Bowles confirmed Thursday.
Palos Verdes, one year removed from a Bay League title, endured a 2-8 campaign last season, but Gardner remains optimistic about a quick turnaround.
"The expectations are high here, and I think they should be," Gardner said. "I'm not thinking there's a lot of so-called 'things' to fix. We're going to work really hard and see what we can do."
Gardner, 43, will meet the team for the first time today and begin the transition process from Pat Fresch, a coach who started the program from scratch and with whom Gardner served as an assistant coach in Palos Verdes' return to varsity in 2003.
"We think Guy Gardner is the right guy to bring us to the next level, and we're excited to have him," Principal Chris Bowles said. "We have tremendous respect for Pat Fresch and where he brought the PV program.
"It is where it is today because of all the hard work and passion he had for football and our players. He's the greatest guy, and he'll always be a Sea King."
Bowles did not reveal the number of applicants the school received after Fresch was fired Dec. 15, but said Palos Verdes narrowed it down to two candidates for interviews.
Bowles said Palos Verdes was fortunate to get a coach like Gardner, who will also be a social studies teacher.
"Guy wants to build a quality program, and I think he's going to settle in at PV," Bowles said. "He's very organized and very disciplined, but at the same time, he will make it a very positive experience for our players. He's going to help the kids reach their full potential."
Gardner has won league championships in four of the past five seasons at Garden Grove Pacifica, leading the Mariners to the CIF Southern Section Southern Division title game in 2007.
Gardner left Palos Verdes in 2003 to take over Pacifica for Bill Craven, a 28-year veteran who was the second winningest coach in Orange County history. He was 39-21 in five seasons.
Yet the commute from his Redondo Beach home to Garden Grove became a challenge, especially with a daughter, 11, and son, 8, at home.
So when an opportunity to coach and teach closer to home presented itself, Gardner jumped at it.
"Location -- that's the main reason," Gardner said. "I'm a South Bay native, and in the back of my head, I always wanted to come home.
"I'm not regarding this as a temporary move. I can't foresee a move after this. A lot of thought went into it, and it's where I plan on being for a long time"
Gardner also was as an assistant coach at Mira Costa from 1989 to 1998, serving under Larry Petrel, Bill Lisle and the last six under Don Morrow. The Mustangs won two CIF titles in four appearances during that time.
"That's where I started," Gardner said. "I feel fortunate to have coached under all three of those guys. I learned a lot under all of them."
Gardner will still have to commute from Garden Grove to Palos Verdes when spring practice begins as he finishes the teaching year, but said he is excited about getting started.
Gardner said he plans to use a multiple offense at PV.
"I'll try to be pretty flexible based on the talent we have," Gardner said. "I know we're going to have to establish the run for the Bay League, but I strive for 50-50 run and pass.
"I've learned that any success we have is the result of the work we're putting in, and we are going to work as hard as we can."
woooo, good choice
I hadn't heard that Coach Fresch had been fired. I am very sorry to hear that. I coached against him during his first couple of years at PV. He seemed like a quality guy that had his players playing/behaving in the right way.
I wish him all the best.
Welcome aboard Coach! Hope you have a great season! GO SEAKINGS!
Excellent choice and the fact that he is a teacher will certainly help the situation at PV.
GREAT HIRE!!!! Way to go Mr. Bowles!!! It would have been easy to just hire from within and 'appease' folks! Gardner is outstanding!
Parents, let the man do his job!!! Donate to the program for the love of the program, don't try and 'buy' influence...
Good luck to Coach Young, you will be a great HC.
Hopefully Coach keeps you as DC, you've done a great job!
Great Guy!
I am not confused about the pick for coach since he seems well qualified. It's a great opportunity for PV's football program. My confusion comes from him being hired as a Social Studies teacher. Did PV just hire a new teacher when the district is faced with millions of dollars in cuts? I understand the replacement of a coach because it's a wash, financially speaking. Am I to assume that a current Social Studies teacher will be leaving next year and this is just a replacement position as well?
I gave more than I wanted to last year to the PEF "Save Our Teachers Campaign". Donors cannot pick and chose who they want to save, it is strictly a district-wide, seniority based campaign. I would be quite disappointed if a teacher with more seniority than the new coach/Social Studies teacher gets laid off before him. I would expect the new coach to be the first head on the chopping block when the inevitable cuts come. Is he willing to remain the coach if he is laid off from his teaching position?
To hire a teacher as well as a coach in the same person, should be the goal of all high schools. You get the most out of one person, you get total dedication to the school and the sport and you have someone who can spend more time with the kids. It is a win-win-win situation. In addition, players tend to give more respect to someone who is not only their coach but also teaches at their high school. This is actaully the original model of most high schools in the South Bay and it is pretty rare to have walk-on coaches like Fresch.
If they have budget cuts which know Sacramento and our wonderful Federal Gov't, they will, then cut those who only teach and are not multi-tasking. In other words, if your just a History teacher and that's all you do, then go to another district that can afford dedicated History teachers. Not many can at present. Multitasking is more efficient and leads to a better budgetary situation. Now Gardner may have to teach more classes then he wants because of the budget situation, but at least the school doesn't have deal with as many walk-on's.